STANFORD – The No. 2 California men's water polo team (12-3) fell in the first of the two-game series to No. 4 Stanford (10-4), 12-8, on Friday at the Avery Aquatic Center in Stanford.
The Golden Bears dropped their second game in the last three outings and third on the season after falling in the highly anticipated Big Splash matchup. Cal will have the opportunity to redeem itself and split the season series when the two teams meet again on Nov. 15 in Berkeley.
Cal was led by
Beso Akhvlediani, who posted a game-high six goals, tying a career high on eight attempts. Akhvlediani now has 11 games with at least two goals on the season.
How it happened:
No. 2 Cal – 8 | No. 4 Stanford – 12
- Beso Akhvlediani scored four of the team's first five goals.
- The Cardinal edged a 3-2 lead after eight minutes of action.
- Chase Wilson found the back of the net late in the second.
- Bende Pardi added a score late in the third.
- Beso Akhvlediani added two more goals in the fourth period.
- Aran Pina finished with six saves.
- Cal had 11 shot attempts blocked.
- Beso Akhvlediani tied a career-high six goals after shooting 75% from the field.
- The Bears shot 34 percent (8-for-23) on the day.
- Cal struggled to convert on power plays after going 1-for-9 on opportunities.
- Stanford won three of the four sprints.
- The Bears earned three exclusions while the Cardinal earned five.
- The Cardinal tallied 10 steals.
- Cal was held to its second-lowest scoring output of the season.
- Stanford had six different goal scorers.
NEXT UP
Cal returns home for a back-to-back beginning on Thursday against Fordham. Coverage will be available on Overnght, starting at 3 p.m. PT.
STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Cal men's water polo, follow the Bears on Twitter (
@CalWaterPolo) and Instagram (
@calmwaterpolo).
