MPOLO9/23/2023 6:40 PM | By: Cal Athletics
No. 1 Cal Tops No. 4 Stanford In Instant Classic
Bears Erase Another 5-Goal, 4th-Quarter Deficit
LOS ANGELES – It's an exceedingly rare sight seeing a team come back from four goals down in the fourth quarter, but one wouldn't know it from watching the California men's water polo team this past year.
The Golden Bears (12-0) have now done it twice in the same win streak.
No. 1 Cal trailed No. 4 Stanford (8-3) 14-9 with just over six minutes to go in regulation in Saturday's MPSF Invitational Semifinal at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center. With little room for error, the Bears quickly turned things around with a frenzy of goals and clutch defensive stops. Max Casabella tied the game with two seconds left in the fourth quarter and Albert Ponferrada later smashed in the winning goal in the second sudden-victory period.
After missing both of Cal's games last weekend, center Nikolaos Papanikolaou returned to the lineup in grand fashion, setting season highs with five goals and a robust eight earned exclusions. Papanikolaou scored three times during the Bears' 5-0 run over the final 6:02 of regulation and drew a key exclusion with nine seconds left on the clock, setting up Casabella's dramatic equalizer off a feed by Roberto Valera.
Jake Howerton provided a spark down the stretch as well, firing in a goal during the Bears' fourth-quarter comeback and another early in the first overtime period to give Cal its first lead of the day, 15-14. The teams traded punches and the Bears' defense came up with blocks on multiple potential game-winners. After winning the sprint to start the fourth period of overtime, Papanikolaou drew his eighth and final exclusion, and a decisive Ponferrada rocked a perfectly-placed shot inside the right post, ending an instant classic.
The 35 combined goals were the most ever scored in the historic rivalry between the Bears and the Cardinal. Ponferrada and Casabella finished with six and five assists, respectively, while both turning in hat tricks. Goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg racked up a season-best 15 saves to go with two assists.
It was the 15th straight win for the Bears dating back to last year and their largest comeback since similarly overcoming a five-goal fourth-quarter deficit in their 13-12 win over USC in the 2022 NCAA Championship game.
Cal will next play in the MPSF Invitational first-place game Sunday at 1 p.m. PT against No. 2 UCLA.
No. 1 California 18, No. 4 Stanford 17
Cal 3 4 1 6 3 0 0 1– 18
Stan 7 2 3 2 3 0 0 0 – 17
Cal Goals: Papanikolaou 5, Ponferrada 3, Casabella 3, Howerton 2, Mirkovic 2, Valera, Mundelius, Szatmary
Stan Goals: Jackson Painter 5, Riley Pittman 4, Ethan Parrish 2, Tanner Pulice 2, Soren Jensen 2, Jack Merrill, Andrew Churukian
Cal Saves: Adrian Weinberg 15
Stan Saves: Griffen Price 12
While it was a slow start on the defensive end for the Bears against Stanford, that wasn't the case in their early-morning victory over No. 11 Long Beach State as Cal held the Beach to a season-low in scoring in a 10-6 win.
Weinberg led the efforts with 14 saves. He has now reached double figures in five straight games when playing the entire match.
Papanikolaou finished with three goals and six earned exclusions in his first game back. He now sits at 234 goals, just one behind Ivan Rackov for No. 3 all time at Cal.
No. 1 California 10, No. 11 Long Beach State 6
Cal 2 1 5 2 - 10
LBSU 1 1 2 2 – 18
Cal Goals: Papanikolaou 3, Valera 2, Mundelius, Ponferrada, Casabella, Szatmary, Mirkovic
LBSU Goals: Robert Lopez Duart 3, Reed Pantaleon, Evan Cain, Riley Catino
Cal Saves: Adrian Weinberg 14
LBSU Saves: Liam Ward 12
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For further coverage of Cal men's water polo, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWaterPolo) and Instagram (@calmwaterpolo).
