Stanford (20-2) vs UC San Diego (20-5) | Saturday • 3:00 p.m.
NCAA Championships Semifinals
Avery Aquatic Center • Stanford, Calif.
NCAA Championships Central
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STANFORD, Calif. – No. 1 Stanford meets No. 7 UC San Diego Saturday at 3 p.m. at Avery Aquatic Center in the semifinals of the NCAA Championships. The winner of Saturday's match advances to face the winner of Saturday's other semifinal match between No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 USC in the NCAA title match Sunday at 3 p.m.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: Stanford is making its 32nd appearance in the NCAA Championships. The Cardinal last appeared in the tournament in 2014, finishing third. Stanford has won the NCAA Championship 10 times in program history, last capturing the title in 2002. This marks the eighth NCAA appearance under the direction of Dunlevie Family Director of Men's Water Polo, John Vargas.
TICKETS: For tickets to the NCAA Championships, click here or call 650-723-4591.
BEST RECORD IN A DECADE: The Cardinal enters the NCAA Championships 20-2 overall, matching its best record since 2009. It is the 10th 20-win season under Vargas. Stanford won its sixth MPSF Championship with a 12-10 victory over California in Los Angeles Nov. 18. The Cardinal completed the 2009 season 20-2.
UC SAN DIEGO: Stanford will face UC San Diego in Saturday's semifinal. The Tritons (20-5) advanced to Saturday's semifinal with a victory over Long Beach State in Thursday's opening-round match played Avery Aquatic Center. UCLA earned the fourth spot with a win over George Washington in the other opening-round match on Thursday. The Cardinal has not faced UC San Diego this season. The Tritons earned an automatic bid to the NCAA's after capturing the Western Water Polo Association conference title.
AGAINST USC AND UCLA
Should Stanford advance to the NCAA Championship match on Sunday, the Cardinal will face either USC or UCLA. Stanford is 2-1 against UCLA and 1-1 against USC this season. The Cardinal beat USC, 13-11, at home on Oct. 6 and dropped a 10-9 decision to the Trojans in the championship game of the Mountain Pacific Invitational at Avery Aquatic Center on Oct. 14. Stanford defeated UCLA, 8-7, in the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Invitational at home on Oct. 13 and dropped a 10-8 decision to the Bruins in Los Angeles on Nov. 3 during the regular season. Stanford earned a 9-7 victory over UCLA in the semifinals of the MPSF Championships Nov. 17 in Los Angeles.
MPSF CHAMPIONSHIPS: Stanford, the No. 1 seed, captured its sixth MPSF Championship in program history with a 9-7 win over No. 4 UCLA in the tournament semifinals and a 12-10 victory over No. 3 California in the title match. It was Stanford's first MPSF title since 2014. The Cardinal also won the MPSF crown in 1994, 1998, 2001 and 2004.
RANKINGS: Stanford is ranked No. 1 in the latest Collegiate Water Polo Association Poll. The Cardinal has been in the top five of the national poll every week over the past three seasons and has been ranked among the top three each of the past 10 weeks. Stanford was No. 3 prior to winning the MPSF Championships. UCLA is ranked No. 2, USC is No. 3 and UC San Diego is No. 7.
MPSF PLAYER AND COACH OF THE YEAR: Sophomore Ben Hallock was named the MPSF Player of the Year and Dunlevie Family Director of Men's Water Polo, John Vargas was voted the MPSF Coach of the Year to highlight Stanford's six conference postseason honorees altogether. Hallock, Blake Parrish and Bennett Williams were First Team All-MPSF selections, Lewis was a second-team honoree and Abramson was an honorable mention pick.
Hallock was the first conference player of the year from Stanford since Jimmie Sandman in 2008. It was the 10th time a Cardinal has been honored as the conference player of the year. Along with Hallock and Sandman, Tony Azevedo (2001-04) was honored four times, Brian Heifferon captured the conference's top honor in 1999, Layne Beaubien in 1998; Brian Wallin in 1996 and Wolf Wigo in 1994.
Vargas collected his second career MPSF Coach of the Year honor. He was also tabbed the conference coach of the year in 2004.
HALLOCK'S IMPRESSIVE SCORING STREAK: Sophomore Ben Hallock scored at least one goal in each of his first 25 career matches, including all 20 he played in as a freshman and the first five he played this season (missed Santa Clara match while playing with USA Water Polo). He totaled 70 goals altogether in his first 25 matches on The Farm. Despite having his scoring streak snapped in the Sept. 23 win at Pepperdine, Hallock still contributed to the Cardinal offense with an assist in the victory. In the 15 matches since that Sept. 23 contest, the First Team All-American has recorded 44 goals and enters the NCAA Championships with 114 career goals in 41 career matches.
MPSF LEADER BOARD: Stanford owns three of the top four spots in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation scoring leaderboard. Ben Hallock ranks second in the MPSF with an average of 2.76 goals-per-game. Bennett Williams is third with an average of 2.55 goals-per-game. Tyler Abramson is fourth at 2.45 goals-per-game.
YOUTH MOVEMENT: Ten of the 14 members of the Cardinal that have scored at least one goal this year are in either their freshman or sophomore year of eligibility. Sophomore Ben Hallock leads the team in scoring with 58 goals, while fellow sophomore Tyler Abramson is second with 54 goals. In all, six newcomers have scored goals this season, including Jackson Seybold (27), AJ Rossman (13), Josh Orrick (10), Parker Killion (7), Quinn Woodhead (7), Zack LaGrange (4) and Spencer Nelson (1).
Seybold scored the game-winning goal with one second remaining in the 8-7 victory over No. 2 UCLA in the Mountain Pacific Invitational semifinals at Stanford on Oct. 13.
True freshman goalie George Hagestad has played six quarters in the cage with 12 saves on the year.
LEWIS AMONG MPSF LEADERS: Fifth-year senior Oliver Lewis is second the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in saves, with 11.05 stops per game. Lewis was voted the MPSF Player of the Week Sept. 24 following career-best save totals in Stanford's wins at No. 5 UC Santa Barbara and No. 10 Pepperdine. He posted a then-career-best 15 saves and limited the Gauchos to their second-lowest point total this year. In the 13-7 victory at No. 10 Pepperdine, Lewis topped his previous career-high save total for the second day in a row, recording 17 saves. Lewis has posted double-digit save totals in 14 of 18 matches this season.
1,000 WINS: Stanford recorded its milestone 1,000th career win in program history Sept. 8 with a 23-6 victory against Johns Hopkins at the Princeton Invitational. Stanford's all-time record is 1,014-310-8.
ACTIVE SCORING LEADER: Senior All-American Blake Parrish is Stanford's active career scoring leader. After registering 38 goals in 22 matches this season, he enters the NCAA Championships with 148 career scores.
VARGAS IN 17TH SEASON ON THE FARM: Dunlevie Family Director of Men's Water Polo, John Vargas, is in his 17th season on The Farm. He has directed the Cardinal to a 341-104 record that includes the 2002 NCAA title in his stellar career as the leader of the Stanford program.