Sept. 19, 2008
STANFORD, Calif. - The third-ranked Stanford men's water polo team delighted a partisan crowd in its 2008 home opener by blitzing the No. 20 U.S. Air Force Academy for a 14-2 victory Friday night at Avery Aquatic Center. Five Stanford players recorded multiple goals in the win as the Cardinal tuned up for this weekend's NorCal Tournament in Stockton.
Stanford will open NorCal Tournament play Saturday morning at 10:40 a.m., taking on the No. 15 Santa Clara Broncos at St. Mary's High School. Depending on the outcome of the contest, the Cardinal will next play either Loyola Marymount or Navy later in the day.
Sage Wright led the offensive charge with three goals in Friday's contest, while the Wigo brothers, Drac and Janson, each scored twice. Senior Andrew Drake and freshman Peter Sefton each added a pair of goals, while Will Hindle-Katel, Jeffrey Schwimer, and Jacob Smith rounded things out with individual goals. Stanford also converted three five-meter penalty shots as well as a pair of extra-attacker opportunities in the game.
Defensively, the Cardinal defense held the Falcons off the scoreboard until the 2:28 mark of the third period. By that time, Stanford had already opened up an 11-0 advantage behind a relentless attack. Starting goalkeeper Jimmie Sandman needed only to make one save over the first three periods of play, and in relief, sophomore Brian Pingree made six saves in the final period.
The game's second minute saw Stanford put Air Force back on its heels, as goals from Wright at 6:57 and Drac Wigo at 6:18 gave the Cardinal a quick 2-0 lead. Things would stay that way until three minutes later, when Janson Wigo found the back of the net during an extra-attacker situation, and Drake converted a five-meter penalty at 2:32. Wright would add the fifth goal of the period at 1:31.
Hindle-Katel, the Cardinal's reliable two-meter player, would grit his way to a goal nearly halfway through the second period for the 6-0 lead, and Schwimer would convert on the power play with nine seconds left in the half to tighten the screws on Air Force at 7-0.
The Cardinal would then score the first four goals of the third period to run the score up to 11-0 before Air Force managed to spoil the shutout. Drac and Janson Wigo opened the period's scoring, with Janson delivering on a five-meter opportunity, then Smith would electrify the freshmen in attendance with a five-meter penalty at 4:11.
Twenty seconds after Sefton's first goal of the game, the Falcons would get on the board as Jack Hines, who would end up scoring both Air Force goals, made a fine play to tip a pass past Sandman to make it 11-1.
The teams traded goals to start the final period, with Wright completing his hat trick and Hines getting his second for Air Force. But the Cardinal defense would not allow another goal, while Drake and Sefton would complete the scoring in Stanford's victory.
Air Force - 0 0 1 1 = 2
Stanford - 5 2 4 3 = 14
Stanford Goal Scorers: Sage Wright 3, Drake 2, Sefton 2, D. Wigo 2, J Wigo 2, Hindle-Katel, Schwimer, J. Smith
Air Force Goal Scorers: Hines 2
Goalie Saves: Sandman 1, Pingree 6 (S); Ostrom 4, Harold 3 (USAFA)