STANFORD, Calif. – The No. 3 Cardinal moved to 14-6 this afternoon, topping No. 6 Pacific 16-7 in the final home game of the regular season. Botond Balogh led all scorers with four goals, as five members of the Cardinal posted multiple goals.
“Pacific’s a really well-coached team and obviously a really tough non-conference opponent,” said Dunlevie Family Director off Men’s Water Polo Brian Flacks. “Good win to close our non-conference schedule, and proud of the team for going undefeated this year against non-conference opponents.”
The Cardinal jumped out early, with Alex Gheorghe scoring twice in the first 63 seconds for a 2-0 lead. Gianpiero Di Martire, Botond Balogh, Max Zelikov and Will Schneider each added one in as well to make it a 6-0 lead before Pacific was able to record their first goal with 2:27 to go in the first.
Gheorghe picked up his third goal of the day at the start of the second period. Di Martire and Schneider each scored their second goals of the contest, and Chase McFarland added his first to make it a 10-3 halftime lead.
The two sides were even in the third, making it a 13-6 score going into the fourth. Balogh added his second and third goals in the third period, joining. Gheorghe with a hat trick.
Balogh added his fourth goal of the day in the fourth period to make it a 14-6 game. Then midway through the period, Orestis Zervoudakis scored a pair of goals just a minute apart to make it a double-digit lead at 16-6.
Balogh’s four goals led all scorers, and he added a pair of assists for six total points. Next in line with five points was Ben Forer with four assists and a goal scored.
Stanford finishes the regular season a perfect 13-0 in non-conference play.
The Cardinal closes out the regular season next weekend, heading to Berkeley for the Big Splash against No. 4 California at 1:00 p.m. PT on Saturday. Stanford will be back on The Farm however, hosting the MPSF Championship beginning on Friday Nov. 21, as well as the NCAA Championship which starts on Dec. 5.
No. 3 Stanford vs. No. 6 Pacific
PAC 2 – 1 – 3 – 1 = 7
STAN 6 – 4 – 3 – 3 = 16
STAN Goals: B. Balogh (4), A. Gheorghe (3), O. Zervoudakis (2), G. Di Martire (2), W. Schneider (2), M. Zelikov, C. McFarland, B. Forer
PAC Goals: J. Martorana, M. Pembertty, O. Buzaglo, A. Georgaras, B. Kasa-Gal, Y. Rendler, E. Braga