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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.