LOS ANGELES – Two weeks after falling to UCLA at the death, No. 2 Stanford topped the No. 1 Bruins today 19-15 in Los Angeles to move to 1-0 in MPSF play this season. The Cardinal moves to 11-1 overall on the season, handing the Bruins their first loss of the seasonÂ
The Cardinal jumped out to a first-period lead, outscoring the Bruins 4-3 through eight minutes. Guido Leonardi was responsible for two of the four, including the difference-making goal with a minute left to go ahead.
Both offenses found their grooves in the second, with an even 5-5 period. Leonardi added his third of the day, and Alex Gheorghe struck for a pair of goals. The second of Gheorghe’s scores came with just five seconds left, giving the Cardinal at 9-8 lead at halftime.Â
Gheorghe added his third goal in the third period, as the Card held onto the one-goal lead. Dimitris Chatzis scored with just under a minute left in the period to briefly stretch the lead to two at 12-10, but UCLA was able to answer with just 15 seconds left and make it 12-11 heading into the fourth.
In the fourth, the Cardinal struck quick to expand the lead. Stanford opened the period on a 3-1 run to make it a 15-12 game when UCLA called a timeout with 4:53 to go in the game. Opening the run was James Rozolis-Hill, scoring his third of the day just 30 seconds into the period.
UCLA twice cut the lead back to two, but each time the Cardinal was able to answer and push it back to three. First was Ben Forer with 4:04 left to make it 16-13, then Botond Balogh with 2:05 to make it 17-14.
Gavin West scored with just over a minute left to make it 18-14, but the Bruins scored just 12 seconds later to keep it a three-goal difference at 18-15. West added another in the closing seconds to make it a 19-15 final score.
Bernardo Herzer finished with nine saves in goal to hold the Bruins offense at bay. Rozolis-Hill, Leonardi and Gheorghe led the way with three goals apiece. Ryan Ohl led in total points with two goals and three assists.
The win is Stanford’s second in the last three MPSF games at UCLA, also winning on Oct. 5, 2024 against a Bruins squad that was ranked No. 1 at the time as well.
The Cardinal is in action again tomorrow in Los Angeles, taking on No. 3 USC at 1:00 p.m. PT. The game can be streamed on Overnght.
Stanford Goals: J. Rozolis-Hill (3), G. Leonardi (3), A. Gheorghe (3), R. Ohl (2), B. Forer (2),G. West (2), D. Mnatsakanian (2), B. Balogh, D. Chatzis