Courtesy: Cal Athletics
LOS ANGELES – The seventh-ranked California men’s water polo team took a 7-1 first-period lead over Augustana in its MPSF Championships opener Friday and never looked back, defeating its MPSF East opponent 23-8 at UCLA’s Spieker Aquatics Center.
The defending NCAA champion Golden Bears – who improved their record to 12-11 – next face the top-ranked Bruins on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. PT. Augustana is now 13-6.
Max Casabella notched four goals and one assist for the Bears, while Jake Howerton scored three goals and two assists, George Avakian had three goals and one assist, and William Kelley posted a hat trick.
Six different Bears combined to score in the first period, with Avakian getting two goals to power Cal to its 7-1 lead. The senior scored Cal’s first goal just 21 seconds into the game and netted his second with 44 seconds left in the period. Cal – which never trailed in the game – would maintain at least a six-goal lead the rest of the way.
Augustana battled back with three goals in the second period, but goals from Avakian, Nik Mirkovic, Howerton and Patrick Kolak gave the Bears an 11-4 halftime lead.
Cal flirted with a double-digit lead most of the third period. The Bears got that lead with one second left in the period, when Casabella scored on a penalty to give the Bears a 17-7 advantage.
The Bears scored three straight times to open the fourth and make the score 20-7. After Augustana recorded its last goal, Cal went on another three-goal spree – capped by Kelly’s third score – to give the Bears their 23-8 victory.
No. 7 California 23, Augustana 8
Augustana 1 3 3 1 – 8
Cal 7 4 6 6 – 23
Augustana Goals: Rasic, Palmroos, Addison, Bannister, Leslie, Lomax, Faux, Lechleitner
Cal Goals: Casabella 4, Howerton 3, Avakian 3, Kelly 3, Szatmary 2, Mirkovic 2, Oprea 2, Mundelius, Kolak, Gascon, Hoover
Augustana Saves: Hutton 5, Sothern 3, Root 2
Cal Saves: Clansen 6, LaGrange 3
