Courtesy: Stanford Athletics
STANFORD, Calif. – No. 2 Stanford used a late second-half surge to hold off No. 6 California 11-8 on Saturday afternoon in the latest chapter of the Big Splash at Avery Aquatic Center.
Stanford (19-2, 5-1 MPSF) avenged one of its two losses, after California (15-4, 3-3 MPSF) secured a 10-9 sudden victory overtime win back on Feb. 5 to snap the Cardinal’s eight-match winning streak in the series.
The Cardinal also extended its winning streak to five, improved to 8-2 on The Farm and capped a memorable Senior Day for its class of Makenzie Fischer, Chloe Harbilas, Lauren Indart and Madison Stamen. All four players were members of the Cardinal’s 2019 NCAA title team while Fischer leaves The Farm with two championship rings, having also won it all in 2017. Since its first season together in 2019, the senior class has compiled a 70-11 overall record and 20-5 MPSF record.
Aria Fischer and Makenzie Fischer controlled the action with three goals apiece while Jewel Roemer contributed two goals, four assists and four shots.
The Cardinal held a 33-25 edge in shot attempts, finished 3-of-8 on the power play and converted two of its three penalty shots.
California raced out to a 3-0 lead until Roemer finally got the Cardinal on the board at the 4:50 mark of the first period.
Aria Fischer’s first goal of the day – her 50th of the season – with 7:45 remaining in the second period tied the game at 3-3 before Makenzie Fischer gave the Cardinal its first lead at 4-3 one minute later.
Tied 7-7, Stanford gained control during a four-minute stretch that spanned the third and fourth periods. Katie Lyons scored on a breakaway to make it 8-7 through three quarters, Roemer tacked on another to start the fourth and Ryann Neushul added her only goal for a 10-7 lead.
Sophie Wallace made it 11-8 midway through the fourth period to round out the scoring.
Maya Avital was impressive in goal, finishing with nine saves while denying Cal’s only penalty shot attempt.
Stanford will await the outcome of today’s UCLA/USC contest to determine its seeding for next weekend’s MPSF Championship, hosted by USC.
Stanford Goals: Aria Fischer (3), Makenzie Fischer (3), Jewel Roemer (2), Katie Lyons (1), Ryann Neushul (1), Sophie Wallace (1).
Courtesy: Cal Athletics
STANFORD – After getting off to a fast start Saturday, the depleted No. 6 Cal women’s water polo team fell to No. 2 Stanford 11-8 in the annual Big Splash at Avery Aquatic Center.
The Bears (15-4, 3-3 MPSF) stunned the Cardinal with goals on each of their first three possessions to lead 3-0 just over two minutes into the game. But Stanford came back and eventually pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Already playing without injured starter Maryn Dempsey, third-leading scorer Cecily Turner picked up her third exclusion with 3:19 left in the second quarter. Leading scorer Emma Wright also fouled out with just under five minutes to play.
After winning the game’s opening sprint, Cal scored quickly on a goal by senior Elli Protopapas. Sophomore Ruby Swadling followed with a goal of her own on the Bears’ next possession. Each of Cal’s first two goals were assisted by Wright.
Protopapas scored again off an assist by Swadling to push the advantage to 3-0.
Stanford scored four goals in a row to take the lead early in the second quarter, and the teams then traded goals until the Cardinal notched three in a row early in the fourth quarter to break a 7-7 tie.
Protopapas finished with two goals and an assist while Wright had a goal and two assists. Freshman Rozanne Voorvelt also scored twice while junior goalie Isabel Williams registered 12 saves.
The Bears next move on to the MPSF Championships next weekend at USC. The Bears will have the No. 4 seed and will open up against fifth-seeded Arizona State on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
