No. T-1 Stanford men’s water polo (16-2, 1-1 MPSF) will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday afternoon when it hosts No. 3 UCLA (16-2, 1-1 MPSF) in the final game of the regular season before beginning the MPSF Championship tournament on Nov. 22.
After the game, seniors Bennett Williams and Dylan Woodhead will be recognized for their contributions to the team over the past four years. Williams has accumulated 145 career goals and Woodhead has contributed 66.
The high-powered Cardinal offense is led by Williams, and juniors Ben Hallock and Tyler Abramson. Hallock was named MPSF Player of the Week on Monday for the second time this season and remains the conference leader in goals with 57. He led the Cardinal to victory in the Big Splash on Nov. 9, scoring eight goals in No. 1 Stanford’s 15-8 victory.
Abramson ranks second this season in the MPSF in goals with 47. He also put up a strong showing against Cal, scoring three goals. Williams ranks fifth in the MPSF in goals with 37, and goalkeeper Andrew Chun has put up 145 saves this season, currently placing him third in the conference.
Earlier this season, the Cardinal defeated the Bruins 13-9, handing them their first loss of the season. The Cardinal scored a few early goals to open an early lead and managed to stay ahead for the remainder. Abramson led in scoring with four goals, followed by Williams with three and Woodhead with two. Hallock also put up two goals in an uncharacteristically quiet showing, thanks to UCLA’s effective defense against him. Look for Abramson and Williams to be key contributors again in Saturday’s game.
Stanford has an all-time 18-21 record against the Bruins dating back to 1999. The Bruins are looking for redemption after a tough 7-10 loss to their rival USC on Nov. 9 and their loss to the Cardinal earlier in the season. These two games have been UCLA’s only two losses this season.
Stanford and UCLA go head-to-head at noon on Saturday at Avery Aquatics Center. The postseason begins the following week with the MPSF tournament Nov. 22-24 in Berkeley. The season will then conclude with the NCAA tournament on Dec. 7-8.
Contact Natalie Hilderbrand at nhild ‘at’ stanford.edu.