Nov. 12, 2010
DAVIS, Calif. - Junior driver Jacob Smith posted another hat trick as the third-ranked Stanford men's water polo team garnered its sixth straight win with a 12-4 defeat of No. 13 UC Davis Friday night in Davis.
The win upped Stanford's record on the year to 13-5. The Cardinal return home Sunday for its regular-season home finale at Avery Aquatic Center against No. 6 Pacific. The contest, Stanford's Senior Day, will feature seniors Eric Clapper, Alex Pulido, Jeffrey Schwimer and Sage Wright being honored prior to their final regular season home game.
Smith scored three times in Friday's win to lead the Cardinal, while Peter Sefton added a pair of goals. Eight Cardinal players scored in all Friday, as Alex Avery, Ryan Brown, Ryan Kent, Travis Noll, Paul Rudolph, Jeffrey Schwimer and Sage Wright all added goals.
Goalie Brian Pingree made four saves in the win, including a stop of a five-meter penalty shot in the second period.
Smith wasted no time getting the Cardinal on the board in the contest, scoring just 18 seconds into the contest. The Aggies, though, would answer with a goal from Aaron Salit to tie it up, but 1:25 later Smith would get his second goal of the game, this one on a 6-on-5, putting Stanford up 2-1. The Cardinal would double its lead 12 seconds before the end of the period, as Rudolph converted on the 6-on-5.
Ryan Hagens would cut the lead in half 35 seconds into the second frame, but Stanford would answer with goals from Sefton and Brown, giving the Cardinal a 5-2 lead at halftime.
The Aggies would get within two goals twice in the third period, but each time the Cardinal would have an answer. After a penalty shot from UC Davis made it 6-4 with 3:10 to play in the half, the Stanford defense would shut the Aggies down the rest of the night.
UC Davis would go without a goal for the remaining 11:10 of the match, while Stanford would notch six unanswered goals, including five in the fourth period. Schwimer and Kent would score within the opening two minutes of the frame, then Sefton and Noll would add on to put the Cardinal clear with 2:48 to play.
Stanford - 3 2 2 5 = 12
UC Davis - 1 1 2 0 = 4
Stanford Goal Scorers: Smith 3, Sefton 2, Avery, Brown, Kent, Noll, Rudolph, Schwimer, Wright
UC Davis Goal Scorers: Eggert, Hagens, Hicks, Salit
Goalie Saves: Pingree 4 (S); Quinn 7 (UCD)