STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford’s all-time leading scorer, Bret Bonanni, added six more goals to his career tally to lead the No. 5 Cardinal to a 21-11 victory over No. 9 Pepperdine Friday evening at Avery Aquatic Center.
The Cardinal posted its fifth straight victory to improve to 19-6 overall and 5-3 in the MPSF.
Bonanni now has 345 career goals, including a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation leading 79 scores this season. The senior has scored in 24 of Stanford’s 25 games with multiple goals in 20 contests this year. He has 90 career multiple-goal games and 65 career hat tricks.
In Friday’s contest, Pepperdine struck first with a goal 1:40 into the game, but Stanford responded with four straight scores over the next 2:29 to surge ahead for good. A pair of Blake Parrish goals sandwiched around scores from Adam Abdulhamid and Bonanni pushed the Cardinal ahead, 4-1.
Blake Parrish puts the Cardinal up, 4-1, in the first quarter #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/dnySv4nJwO
— Stanford Water Polo (@StanfordMWP) November 7, 2015
Senior BJ Churnside was the first Cardinal to collect a hat trick in the game, with his third score of the contest midway through the third quarter to extend Stanford’s lead to 9-4.
Stanford built a double-digit lead from there, following a Pepperdine score with seven straight goals in a span of 4:11 during the third period to make it 16-5. Bonanni netted three scores, Reid Chase added two goals, and Cody Smith and Kyle Weikert each contributed a goal during the run.
Smith became the third Cardinal to post a hat trick in the contest, punching home his third goal with four seconds remaining in the third quarter to give Stanford a 17-6 advantage.
Bonanni opened the fourth period with his fifth and sixth goals of the night to extend the Cardinal’s lead to 19-6.
Cody Smith goal in slo mo #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/2E6U7GogSw
— Stanford Water Polo (@StanfordMWP) November 7, 2015
Goals from Sam Pfeil and Harrison Enright rounded out the scoring to cap the Cardinal’s 10-goal victory.
Junior goalie Drew Holland registered five saves in the cage for the Cardinal.
Stanford continues its three game homestand next Tuesday (Nov. 10) as the Cardinal hosts No. 17 Santa Clara at 7 p.m. at Avery Aquatic Center.