LOS ANGELES – No. 6 Stanford carried a 7-6 advantage into the fourth quarter, and led 8-6 with 7:29 left in the game, but No. 3 UCLA used a 5-0 run to take its first lead of the match and outscored Stanford 5-2 in the final stanza to earn an 11-9 victory.
The setback dropped Stanford to 3-2 on the year and 0-1 in the MPSF. UCLA improves to 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the MPSF.
Riley Pittman led the Cardinal with two goals on seven shots while adding a steal and earning three exclusions.
Nolan Krutonog spent the bulk of the match in cage for Stanford, amassing six saves. Griffen Price had one save for the Cardinal.
Stanford jumped out to the early 2-0 lead on goals from Ethan Parrish and Grant Watson. The 2-0 advantage held until :38 left in the first quarter as UCLA's Eli Liechty got the Bruins on the board.
With the Cardinal leading 2-1 after one, the low-scoring affair continued into the second quarter. Gavin West found the net for his third goal of the year, extending the Cardinal lead to 3-1, but UCLA once again managed to answer with less than a minute left in the quarter – sending the teams into halftime with the Cardinal leading 3-2.
The two teams traded four goals apiece in the third quarter, with Tanner Pulice, Pittman, CJ Indart and Jack Merrill scoring goals for the Cardinal. Merrill's tally came with 28 seconds left in the period and sent the Cardinal into the fourth with a 7-6 advantage.
Jackson Painter got the scoring started in the fourth quarter, converting a penalty shot to run the tally to 8-6 in favor of Stanford, but UCLA scored the next five goals to earn an 11-8 advantage – its first lead of the game.
Pittman managed his fifth multi-goal game of the year as the clock ran down, firing a shot into goal with a second remaining.
UCLA goalkeeper Garret Griggs finished the contest with 11 saves and two steals.
Stanford will return to action on Sunday when it travels to LMU to face the No. 14 Lions at 11 a.m.
No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 6 Stanford
Sep. 9, 2023 • Los Angeles
STAN 2 – 1 – 4 – 2 = 9
UCLA 1 – 1 – 4 – 5 = 11
Stanford Goals: Riley Pittman (2), CJ Indart (1), Jack Merrill (1), Jackson Painter (1), Ethan Parrish (1), Tanner Pulice (1), Grant Watson (1), Gavin West (1)
UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara (4), Frederico Jucá Carsalade (2), Ben Liechty (2), Gianpiero Di Martire (1), Jack Larsen (1), Eli Liechty (1)
Saves: Nolan Krutonog (6), Griffen Price (1), Garret Griggs (11)
