MWP cruising - Printable Version
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RE: MWP cruising - M T - 11-20-2022
The MPSF (West) Men's Water Polo Championship will be at 3PM between #4 Stanford and host #3 USC.
The tournament web site is here with stats here. Video here (If you miss it live, it will be available on demand)
For the regular season, Stanford was 20-4 (now 22-4), with losses to Cal, USC, UCLA, and Princeton. They had wins against UCLA and Cal (and now, 2 wins over Cal).
Stanford came into the tourney ranked #4 and faced #1 Cal in the semis, winning 12-9. #3 USC beat #2 UCLA 12-11.
Some years back, Stanford was ranked #4 going into the MPSF tournament and beat #1 in the semis, but lost in the finals. At that time, IIRC, only 2 MPSF teams went to the national championship, and Stanford was left at home (the winner of the tourney was the automatic qualifier while the #1 team was the at-large team).
The format of the NCAA tournament has changed since then. Last year, 3 teams from the MPSF West participated (Stanford missed it). I am not 100% sure that 3 teams will be invited this year (SCIAC didn't participate last year, and that may be why there was room for a 3rd MPSF West team.)
The problem is, if #3 beats #4 in the finals, which teams go to nationals? #3 (automatic) and #1 (at-large) will go, but will they choose #2 or #3 to be the third team, if there is a 3rd spot.
The only way to be sure to go to the NCAA tournament is to win the MPSF West Tournament by beating USC Sunday.
RE: MWP cruising - M T - 11-20-2022
USC up 3-2 after 1. They made 2 penalty shots. Stanford failed to get goals on 2 6-on-5s. Stanford goalie has made 3 fantastic saves or it would be worse.
USC up 7-5 at the half. Stanford got a couple of penalty shots this quarter. For all the great saves on close-in shots in the 1st Quarter, Stanford's goalie let several distance shots get by him in this quarter.
RE: MWP cruising - M T - 11-20-2022
USC up 10-7 at the end of 3 quarters. Stanford hasn't really looked like they can penetrate and get good shots off. It is crunch time for Stanford.
The Stanford goalie has been 3 or 4 meters out of the goal when the ball is on the wings. I'm surprised USC isn't taking advantage of that.
Down 3 with under 3 minutes to play, Stanford put their goalie on offense. When the ball was turned over, USC got a goal on a unprotected goal. Then another in the last 30 seconds. Our goalie does score a goal on a lob shot in the last few seconds.
USC 14, Stanford 10.
No trip to the NCAA championship for Stanford.