STANFORD, Calif. - No. 1 Stanford (13-1, 2-0) is set to take on cross-bay rival California this weekend. The Cardinal will take on the No. 4 Golden Bears (9-4, 0-2) in the first of two MPSF bouts between the programs.
Stanford enters the weekend on a five-game winning streak, standing atop the MPSF West standings at 2-0. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. PT from Berkeley, with the game streamed live on Overnght.
RIVALRY REFRESHER » Stanford is coming off back-to-back Big Splash wins, going 6-1 against the Bears in the last two seasons. The last time the two teams met was the MPSF third-place game last season, where the Cardinal erased a four-goal deficit in the third period to win 15-12.
DYNAMIC DUO » The returning duo of Botond Balogh and Ben Forer was one of the best goal-producing pairs in the MPSF last year – joining to post 230 points (136 goals, 94 assists). Forer's 48 assists were second-best in the MPSF West. In 2026, the duo has combined for 48 goals and 35 assists. Forer leads the team in points (45) and assists (22) while Balogh sits second in points (38) but leads in goals scored (25).
NEWCOMER INTRODUCTIONS » The Card's two transfers have showed out to start the season, with Bernardo Herzer making 137 saves in 14 games. In the first 14 games of the season, James Rozolis-Hill is second on the team with 24 goals.
HEROIC HERZER » Herzer has been lights out to start the season, leading the MPSF in saves with 137. Herzer's 55.9% save percentage on the season is the best in the MPSF among starting goalies.
MPSF HONORS » The Cardinal has picked up three MPSF weekly awards this season, each coming from a different contributor:
| Name | Award | Date |
| Dimitris Chatzis | Newcomer of the Week | September 7 |
| Bernardo Herzer | Player of the Week | September 21 |
| Connor Ohl | Newcomer of the Week | October 12 |