Oct. 25, 2008
STANFORD, Calif. - No. 2 Stanford's vaunted offense got rolling in the second period of Saturday's men's water polo contest, going on a 9-1 run beginning in the second period and extending into the third that fueled its 13-7 MPSF victory over No. 10 Long Beach State at Avery Aquatic Center. The win improves Stanford's record to 17-2, and 3-0 in MPSF play.
Drac Wigo led the way with four goals, as Will Hindle-Katel and Ryan McCarthy each scored a pair of goals and individual goals were turned in by Andrew Drake, Chris Jacobson, Janson Wigo, Sage Wright, and Steven Wright. In the contest, the Stanford offense would convert on five of its ten 6-on-5 situations, and cash in on both if its five-meter penalty shots.
Defensively, goalkeeper Jimmie Sandman made 10 saves and the Cardinal got solid efforts from its two-meter players and perimeter defenders, who consistently frustrated the Long Beach attack by preventing it from getting many chances inside.
The 49ers (9-12, 0-4 MPSF) actually got the scoring started Saturday afternoon, converting their first 6-on-5 situation thanks to a goal from Pavle Filipovic three minutes into the contest. Long Beach would also get some big saves from goalkeeper Derek Wiebe-Bailey in the opening eight minutes that allowed the 49ers to hold onto the 1-0 lead after the opening period.
The high-octane Stanford offense would wake up as the second period got started, as Drac Wigo got the Cardinal on the board with 6:28 on the clock. The Cardinal would take its first lead of the game just over two minutes later as Hindle-Katel netted his first of the game off of a nice feed from Janson Wigo.
Although Long Beach State would equalize 29 seconds later, Stanford would score the game's next seven goals, beginning with Drac Wigo's second score of the game with 3:18 to go before halftime. That goal started a sequence that saw the Cardinal not only score each of its final three goals of the half on the power play, but score each of those three goals on the same type of play.
Holding the man advantage, Stanford scored each of its last three power-play goals of the half from the left side of the cage. Drac Wigo netted the first two just 1:02 apart to give Stanford a 4-2 lead, then Jacobson got in on the act 13 seconds before halftime to give the Cardinal the 5-2 advantage at the break.
The second half would begin with Stanford's fourth consecutive power-play goal, as Hindle-Katel got his second of the game at 6:37. Just over a minute later, Steven Wright grabbed a rebound just to the left of the net and found the far corner past Wiebe-Bailey for the Cardinal's seventh goal. Stanford would add another goal at the 2:08 mark on Sage Wright's score, then converted its first penalty shot behind the arm of Drake with 1:37 to go in the period.
Long Beach would end its scoring drought 17 seconds later on a goal from Jeff Greenwood, and would add another 21 seconds before the horn, but Stanford would stem this rise with its fifth 6-on-5 goal, this one from Janson Wigo three seconds before the end of the third period.
The 49ers would get to within five goals at 11-6 with 4:21 left to play, but McCarthy would net the next two goals to establish a seven-goal lead with just 1:17 to play. The Cardinal defense would dig in as well, allowing just a power-play goal with 11 seconds remaining as Stanford stayed perfect in MPSF play.
Stanford closes out its two-game home stand Saturday afternoon with a 12 p.m. contest at Avery Aquatic Center.
Long Beach St. - 1 1 2 3 = 7
Stanford - 0 5 5 3 = 13
Stanford Goal Scorers: D. Wigo 4, Hindle-Katel 2, McCarthy 2, Drake, Jacobson, J. Wigo, Sa. Wright, St. Wright
Long Beach State Goal Scorers: Blythen, Kinne, Clute, Filipovic, Greenwood
Goalie Saves: Sandman 10 (S); Wiebe-Bailey 12 (LBSU)