Stanford posted another top-four final ranking in 2017 as the Cardinal completed the season 19-5 overall and ranked No. 4 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association poll. Stanford has posted at least 19 victories in five of the last seven seasons.
Heaston Trophy is back on The Farm. #GoStanford
A post shared by Stanford Men's Water Polo (@stanfordmwp) on Nov 9, 2017 at 5:58pm PST
CARDINAL ENTERS 50TH SEASON ON THE CUSP OF 1,000 WINS
The 2018 men's water polo season will be the 50th in program history. Stanford enters the season with an all-time record of 997-308-8, just three wins shy of its milestone 1,000th victory. The Cardinal will serve as host of the 2018 NCAA Championship at Avery Aquatic Center.
THE POLLS
Stanford, which finished ranked No. 4, was ranked in the top-five of the CWPA national poll throughout the season. The Cardinal earned a No. 1 ranking in the middle of November, marking the first time since the Nov. 26, 2014 national poll, the Cardinal held sole possession of the No. 1 ranking. Stanford has been in the top five of every weekly poll over the past two seasons.
MPSF REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS
Stanford defeated California, 11-10, in the Big Splash in early November to secure a share of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular-season title. The Cardinal earned the No. 1 seed in the MPSF Championships as a result of its win over the Golden Bears and UCLA.
That winning moment. ??#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/vcYRpyUe18
— Stanford Water Polo (@StanfordMWP) November 9, 2017
ALL-AMERICAN QUARTET
The Cardinal placed four on the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches All-America teams. Freshman Ben Hallock was named a First Team All-American, while senior Connor Stapleton was a second-team selection, senior Drew Holland earned third-team honors and junior Blake Parrish was an honorable mention selection.
Congrats to this All-American Cardinal quartet. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/ytrSUDyxud
— Stanford Water Polo (@StanfordMWP) December 19, 2017
HALLOCK VOTED MPSF NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Freshman Ben Hallock was voted the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Newcomer of the Year, to highlight five Cardinal MPSF honorees. Hallock was one of two First Team All-MPSF selections for Stanford, along with senior Connor Stapleton. Senior Drew Holland was a Second Team All-MPSF selection, and senior Cody Smith and junior Blake Parrish were All-MPSF honorable mention picks.
The MPSF honor was the second for Holland, Parrish and Smith in their Cardinal careers. Parrish and Smith were also MPSF honorees in 2016, while Holland was an All-MPSF selection in 2015.
Hallock, a redshirt freshman, finished his first competitive season on The Farm third in the MPSF in scoring with 56 goals. He scored at least one goal in every match he played in, finishing the season with a 2.45 goals per game average. Hallock earned MPSF Newcomer of the week honors three times during the season. The freshman led Stanford on a 12-game winning streak during the season and helped the Cardinal secure the No. 1 seed in the MPSF Tournament. He scored multiple goals in 17 matches with a team-best six goals in the victory over San Jose State on Sept. 30.
The two-meter standout redshirted his true freshman season in 2016 after competing with the United States Olympic Team at the 2016 Games.
Hallock is the fifth Cardinal to win MPSF Newcomer of the Year honors, joining Bret Bonanni (2012), Alex Bowen (2011), Drac Wigo (2006) and Will Hindle-Katel (2005).
.@Ben_Hallock is good. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/KpfVD9GQkI
— Stanford Water Polo (@StanfordMWP) November 9, 2017
HOLLAND COMPLETES CAREER AS ALL-TIME SAVES LEADER
Senior Drew Holland became Stanford's all-time saves leader during the season, completing his career with 925 stops. He averaged 10.8 saves per game as a senior, with a season-high 17 stops at No. 2 USC in the Mountain Pacific Invitational.
PARRISH NAMED TO ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM
Junior Blake Parrish was voted to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Google Cloud Men's At-Large Academic All-District Team. CoSIDA's Men's At-Large Academic All-District Team encompasses 12 sports, including fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, water polo and wrestling. Parrish is part of the 10-member All-District 8 First Team, recognizing standout individuals from Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Canada for their academic and athletic performances.
Parrish collected Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches All-America honors for the second year in a row, earning an honorable mention selection in 2017. He finished the 2017 season second on the team in scoring with 38 goals. Parrish scored in 17 of Stanford's 24 matches with multiple goals in 12 contests. He had a season-best five scores in the win over St. Francis Brooklyn.
A junior majoring in computer science, Parrish was also honored with the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches All-Academic Award. Boasting a 3.94 grade-point average, he was selected to the group's "Outstanding List" for the third consecutive season. He was also recognized as a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Scholar-Athlete for the second year in a row.
Parrish enters his senior season on The Farm in 2018 as the Cardinal's active scoring leader with 110 career goals.
PROGRAM RECOGNIZED WITH PERFECT APR AGAIN
Men's water polo was one of 16 Stanford programs earning perfect 1,000 multi-year scores in the annual edition of Academic Progress Rate (APR) statistics released in May by the NCAA.
The APR is an annual scorecard showcasing academic achievement each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. High-performing teams receiving awards posted APR scores ranging from 977 to a perfect 1,000.
Stanford is one of just 10 men's water polo program's nationally to earn an Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Award. #GoStanford https://t.co/4mzxZIq3iS
— Stanford Water Polo (@StanfordMWP) May 17, 2018
CARDINAL LANDS 14 ON ACWPC ALL-ACADEMIC LIST
Fourteen members of the Stanford men's water polo team were recognized with the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-Academic award. Blake Parrish (computer science) represented the Cardinal on the "Outstanding" list for the third consecutive year. The ACWPC's "Superior" list included Justin Roberto (public policy), Bennett Williams (undeclared), Cody Smith (decision making & rationality) and Ben Hallock (undeclared). Nine members earned "excellent" recognition by the ACWPC, including Tyler Abramson (undeclared), Harrison Enright (management, science and engineering), Mitchell Mendoza (computer science), Nelson Perla-Ward (management, science and engineering), Sam Pfeil (management, science and engineering), Sawyer Rhodes (undeclared), Marco Stanchi (computer science), Connor Stapleton (economics), and Dylan Woodhead (undeclared).
12-GAME WINNING STREAK
Stanford won its final 12 regular-season games (Sept. 24 through Nov. 11), entering the MPSF Championship as the No. 1 seed. During the streak, the Cardinal out-scored its opponents a combined 156-64. Freshman Ben Hallock totaled 34 goals playing in 11 games during the streak. His average of 3.1 goals-per-game during the 11 wins was greater than his 2.7 goals-per-game average throughout the season. Stanford's last defeat was a 6-3 setback to California in the Mountain Pacific Invitational on Sept. 24.
LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD
The Cardinal averaged 13.5 goals per game in 2017, topping the 20-goal mark in six of its 24 matches on the year. Freshman Ben Hallock led the way offensively with 56 goals, with junior Blake Parrish owned 38 goals and senior Cody Smith contributed 35 scores.
STRONG START KEYED CARD
The Cardinal out-scored its opponents 176-63 over the first half in 2017. In the second quarter alone, Stanford out-scored its opponents, 80-26.
HOME SWEET HOME
After playing 10 of its first 11 games on the road, Stanford played the majority of its late-season matches at home at Avery Aquatic Center. The Cardinal completed the regular season a perfect 8-0 at home, including a victory over No. 1 California in the Big Splash.
FRESHMAN PRODUCTION
Freshmen Ben Hallock and Tyler Abramson combined to score 70 goals. Hallock (56) is a redshirt freshman after sitting out last year following his competition in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, while Abramson (14) was a true freshman.
SEVEN-SENIOR SALUTE
The Cardinal's seven seniors were a part of 103 wins over the past five years. They have guided the Cardinal to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2014 MPSF title. The veteran group featured Drew Holland, Jackson Kimbell, Connor Stapleton, Cody Smith, Justin Roberto, Reid Chase and Sam Pfeil.
Lots of wins in this senior class and they're not done yet. #GoStanford
A post shared by Stanford Men's Water Polo (@stanfordmwp) on Nov 11, 2017 at 2:46pm PST
SMITH SCORING
Senior Cody Smith posted 35 goals in Stanford's 24 games and led the Cardinal's active roster in career goals throughout the season. He finished with 144 scores. Smith posted multiple goals in 12 games during his senior season, including a season-best four against No. 12 St. Francis Brooklyn.