Stanford tops Anteaters for title

Mike Derse scored three goals to lead the top-ranked Stanford

men’s water polo team to a 10-6 victory over No. 3-ranked UC Irvine

in the championship game of the Southern California Tournament Sunday

night at USC.

The victory helped first-year Stanford Coach John Vargas, who

coached previously at Corona del Mar High, best his alma mater, where

he played under Anteaters head man Ted Newland.

Tony Azevedo, Jeff Guyman and Peter Hudnut added two goals apiece

as the Cardinal improved to 6-0.

Senior Jeff Powers led UCL (4-1) with three goals and sophomore

Dreason Barry added a pair.

Stanford led, 4-2, after one quarter, but a goal by Powers drew

the Anteaters to within 6-5 with 4:37 left in the second period.

The Cardinal, however, received consecutive extra-man goals from

Hudnut, Azevedo and Derse to extend the lead to 9-5 in the fourth

quarter.

Doug Finfrock had two saves in goal for the Anteaters, while Nick

Ellis recorded three for Stanford.

Junior Garrett Gentry, a product of Corona del Mar High, rounded

out the scoring for UCI.

In Sunday’s semifinal, Barry scored four goals as UCI stopped No.

11-ranked University of the Pacific, 9-8.

Sophomore Dan Noon scored what turned out to be the game-winning

goal with 3:22 remaining to give the Anteaters a 9-7 lead.

Pacific’s Sasha Maese, who shared the Tigers’ scoring lead with

Nic Hepner with three goals, scored an extra-man goal with 29 seconds

remaining, but UCI was able to run out the clock.

Finfrock, a senior, collected five saves for the Anteaters, while

his counterpart in goal, UOP’s Laurie Trettel had nine.

UCI returns to action Wednesday, when it hosts Long Beach State in

a nonconference game at 7 p.m. at the Anteater Aquatics Complex.