[Viking_Guy]

One small update before the game starts.

Host #4 Long Beach State beat #1 UCLA 5-3 to advance to the MPSF final this afternoon.  #2 Stanford plays #3 $C in a few minutes.  Again, there are 3 NCAA tournament spots up for grabs - the tournament champion and two at-larges.

With the Bruins losing in the semi, I would expect the two finalists and the winner of the third-place match tomorrow to make the tournament.  Forgot about the third-place game in my writeup yesterday; expect that match to be a war, as the loser's season is likely over.

Gamecast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d57GXXsar...e=youtu.be

Back to the other game,

VG

[Viking_Guy]

One small update before the game starts.

Host #4 Long Beach State beat #1 UCLA 5-3 to advance to the MPSF final this afternoon.  #2 Stanford plays #3 $C in a few minutes.  Again, there are 3 NCAA tournament spots up for grabs - the tournament champion and two at-larges.

With the Bruins losing in the semi, I would expect the two finalists and the winner of the third-place match tomorrow to make the tournament.  Forgot about the third-place game in my writeup yesterday; expect that match to be a war, as the loser's season is likely over.

Gamecast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d57GXXsar...e=youtu.be

Back to the other game,

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Update:

Stanford 3-2 at half.  Hard to follow on the stream; no live stats, and no commentary.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Update:

Stanford 3-2 at half.  Hard to follow on the stream; no live stats, and no commentary.

VG

[M T]

Thanks VG, I forgot about it.  4-4 at the end of 3 quarters.  Stanford had a couple of empty 6 on 5s.

[M T]

Thanks VG, I forgot about it.  4-4 at the end of 3 quarters.  Stanford had a couple of empty 6 on 5s.

[Viking_Guy]

6-4 Stanford on two Bonanni(?) goals, first in transition burying a ball near side and then midway through the period getting another.

3:45 left.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

6-4 Stanford on two Bonanni(?) goals, first in transition burying a ball near side and then midway through the period getting another.

3:45 left.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Stanford recovers their own bar out shot, and $C tries to counter - leaving a Cardinal player alone on the left to walk in for a 3 meter shot to the far post.

7-4 under 3 minutes.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Stanford recovers their own bar out shot, and $C tries to counter - leaving a Cardinal player alone on the left to walk in for a 3 meter shot to the far post.

7-4 under 3 minutes.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Still 7-4 with 58 seconds left.  If Stanford can spread the pool, they're through.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Still 7-4 with 58 seconds left.  If Stanford can spread the pool, they're through.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Immense.  With UCLA losing the first semifinal, Stanford will play Long Beach State in their home pool tomorrow for the MPSF championship.  And I think the UCLA/$C semifinal becomes a default elimination game for the NCAA tournament.

Now tomorrow becomes important as well.  If Stanford can beat the 49ers, they'll likely receive the #1 overall seed, and be slated to play the winner of one of the minor conference auto bids in the semis, rather than the Bruins or Toejams.

The NCAA tournament pits #2 seed against the winner of #3 (either the winner of the MPSF third-place game or the loser of the final) and #6 (either unranked Harvey-Mudd/Claremont/Scripps or #20 Whittier, whoever wins the SCIAC tourney final tomorrow.)

Meanwhile, the #1 seed will play the winner of #4 and #5 (likely the winner of the #8 Princeton-#11 Brown CWPA championship and the #6 UCSD- #17 LMU WWPA final).

So the #1 seed plays only a team outside the MPSF dominated top-5, while the #2 seed likely has to play two of the other top 3, if the seeds hold.

All in all, a great win.  And I hope the Bruins eliminate Vovic and the Toejams tomorrow.  Although they're a tougher match for Stanford, I think, $C has more experience and Vovic always manages to find some way to finagle a win.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Immense.  With UCLA losing the first semifinal, Stanford will play Long Beach State in their home pool tomorrow for the MPSF championship.  And I think the UCLA/$C semifinal becomes a default elimination game for the NCAA tournament.

Now tomorrow becomes important as well.  If Stanford can beat the 49ers, they'll likely receive the #1 overall seed, and be slated to play the winner of one of the minor conference auto bids in the semis, rather than the Bruins or Toejams.

The NCAA tournament pits #2 seed against the winner of #3 (either the winner of the MPSF third-place game or the loser of the final) and #6 (either unranked Harvey-Mudd/Claremont/Scripps or #20 Whittier, whoever wins the SCIAC tourney final tomorrow.)

Meanwhile, the #1 seed will play the winner of #4 and #5 (likely the winner of the #8 Princeton-#11 Brown CWPA championship and the #6 UCSD- #17 LMU WWPA final).

So the #1 seed plays only a team outside the MPSF dominated top-5, while the #2 seed likely has to play two of the other top 3, if the seeds hold.

All in all, a great win.  And I hope the Bruins eliminate Vovic and the Toejams tomorrow.  Although they're a tougher match for Stanford, I think, $C has more experience and Vovic always manages to find some way to finagle a win.

VG

[M T]

Long Beach State beat both Cal and UCLA today.  They obviously are playing well.  I haven't seen them play yet.

As for the NCAA tourney, I will probably cheer for whatever team represents the SCIAC, but they probably won't be up against Stanford.

[M T]

Long Beach State beat both Cal and UCLA today.  They obviously are playing well.  I haven't seen them play yet.

As for the NCAA tourney, I will probably cheer for whatever team represents the SCIAC, but they probably won't be up against Stanford.

[Viking_Guy]

MT--

Just to clarify, they beat C.al yesterday, 9-6, then the Bruins earlier today 5-3.

The 49ers are playing well; they pushed Stanford hard in Palo Alto before beating C.al in Berkeley a couple of weekends ago.  That was what broke what had been a consistent top 4 of UCLA/Stanford/$C/C.al all season.  And they did have a big crowd today.

Final tomorrow is at 3:00 PM, streaming accessible here:
http://www.longbeachstate.com/sports/m-w...hips.html#

They haven't put up a box score yet, so it's hard to know who scored, but it did appear that Bonnani had the two that made the difference in the fourth period.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

MT--

Just to clarify, they beat C.al yesterday, 9-6, then the Bruins earlier today 5-3.

The 49ers are playing well; they pushed Stanford hard in Palo Alto before beating C.al in Berkeley a couple of weekends ago.  That was what broke what had been a consistent top 4 of UCLA/Stanford/$C/C.al all season.  And they did have a big crowd today.

Final tomorrow is at 3:00 PM, streaming accessible here:
http://www.longbeachstate.com/sports/m-w...hips.html#

They haven't put up a box score yet, so it's hard to know who scored, but it did appear that Bonnani had the two that made the difference in the fourth period.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

A couple of corrections/clarifications, now that I've finally seen a box score.

The first goal of the fourth period was scored by Bonanni; the last two by Bowen.  Between the two of them, they had 6 of Stanford's seven goals, and all of the scoring after the first period, when BJ Churnside had one.

Also, the real player of the match was probably keeper Drew Holland, who had 17 saves, including some point blank stuffs.  $C scored two goals to tie the game at 4 early in the third period, and never scored again.  He got some help from the woodwork, but just a great performance.

Looking forward to the final in a couple of hours,

VG

[Viking_Guy]

A couple of corrections/clarifications, now that I've finally seen a box score.

The first goal of the fourth period was scored by Bonanni; the last two by Bowen.  Between the two of them, they had 6 of Stanford's seven goals, and all of the scoring after the first period, when BJ Churnside had one.

Also, the real player of the match was probably keeper Drew Holland, who had 17 saves, including some point blank stuffs.  $C scored two goals to tie the game at 4 early in the third period, and never scored again.  He got some help from the woodwork, but just a great performance.

Looking forward to the final in a couple of hours,

VG