Photo courtesy USA Water Polo/Jeff Cable Photography
Stanford, Calif. (USA Water Polo) - Stanford held serve at home and won gold at the 2016 Collegiate Cup.
At the conclusion the round robin tournament, the Cardinal edged UCLA and USC for top honors despite falling to the Trojans, 12-11, in the final match on Sunday afternoon. Stanford beat UCLA earlier in the day, 8-7, and UCLA edged USC prior to that game, 8-7. For complete tournament results, click here.
All of the matches in the first through third bracket were competitive on the final day of play and perhaps none more than the final game between USC and Stanford. With the Trojans eyeing the title they built an early lead and held an 11-7 advantage after four quarters. Stanford, led by tournament MVP Maggie Steffens, staged a major rally outscoring USC 4-1 in the final period to keep things close and win the crown based on goal differential.
2016 Collegiate Cup Final Standings
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford |
| 2 | UCLA |
| 3 | USC |
| 4 | California |
| 5 | USA Youth National Team |
| 6 | Michigan |
| 7 | San Jose State |
| 8 | UC Davis Blue |
| 9 | USA Academy |
| 10 | UC Davis Gold |