November 16, 1998
Sat., Nov. 21 vs. Stanford,
Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill, CA
8:30 a.m.
LAST WEEK: The Cal men's water polo team (11-9 overall, 4-4 in MPSF) was originally scheduled to play UC Davis at Solano Community College last Sunday, but the contest was changed to a 'B' squad game. It will not count on the Bears overall record. Cal played host to UC Santa Barbara and USC two weekends ago at Diablo Valley College. After defeating the Gauchos, 9-3, on Nov. 7, the Bears fell to No. 1 USC in overtime, 9-8, on Nov. 8.
HEAD COACH STEVE HEASTON: Steve Heaston is in his 10th year as Cal's head coach with a 222-54 (.804) career record and three national titles ('90, '91, '92), Heaston has guided the Bears to NCAA titles in 1990, '91 and '92 and has been named NCAA Coach of the Year twice ('90 and '92). Before Cal's Oct. 3 match at Stanford, Heaston received a plaque along with a pair of red sweats from Cardinal head coach Dante Dettamanti, honoring Heaston for his service to the sport of water polo.
NOTING STANFORD: The Cardinal (16-6 overall, 6-2 in MPSF) comes to Cal after defeating UC Davis, 19-2, last Saturday at deGuerre Pool on the Stanford campus. The Cardinal is led offensively by junior driver Brian Heifferon (37 points) and senior two-meter man Layne Beaubien (32 points). Senior goalie Chris Aguilera has played in all 22 games this season, amassing 182 saves. Aguilera has allowed just 113 goals for a goals against average of 5.14.
NOTING THE CAL-STANFORD RIVALRY: The Bears have taken the Big Splash two years in a row, going into Saturday's game. Two years ago, Cal won, 9-7, in a Nov. 23, 1996 game. Last year, Cal was 2-1 in the series against Stanford. Cal won 7-4 Oct. 3 at Diablo
Valley College and won 7-6 Nov. 22 at the Big Splash at Stanford. But in their final meeting of the season, the Cardinal knocked the Bears out of a chance to go to the NCAA tournament for the second season in a row, defeating Cal, 5-4, in the MPSF Tournament, Nov. 29 in Long Beach. In the '90s, Cal leads the series, 21-9, including defeating Stanford in the 1990 (8-7) and 1992 (12-11 in sudden death overtime) NCAA title matches. Since 1980, either the Cal or Stanford has captured the national title every year, with the exception of 1982 and 1989 (UC Irvine), 1995 (when UCLA defeated Cal, 10-8, in the NCAA final), 1996 (UCLA) and 1997 (Pepperdine). Since 1969, the Bears have won 11 NCAA Tournaments and the Cardinal seven. Cal and Stanford have faced each other six times in the NCAA title match, with each school winning three national championships versus its Bay Area rival. The two teams have met once this season in an Oct. 3 matchup at Stanford. The Cardinal, on the strength of a 4-1 third quarter run, defeated the Bears, 6-5.
NOTING THE BEARS: Leading scorer Ryan Flynn (45 points) had three goals in the Oct. 3 game against Stanford to lead Cal in the contest. Flynn, at this point in the season, has already bettered his last year's goal total of 33. Flynn now has 126 goals in his college career. In last year's Big Splash, senior driver Brad Kittredge had three goals including the game-winner. This season, Kittredge is fifth on the Bears with 14 points. The senior driver has amassed 106 goals in his career at Cal. Senior goalie Peter Kiefer (496 career saves) needs just four saves against Stanford to reach the 500 career save milestone. Kiefer's best showing this season came in the Nov. 8 loss to USC when he notched 18 saves. Kiefer (152 saves) has played in every game the last three seasons, and has started every contest the past two years, including all 20 games Cal has played this year.
