BERKELEY, Calif. -- No. 1 UCLA (24-2) fell to No. 4 Stanford (16-8), 11-10, in double overtime in the third-place game of the MPSF Championship on Sunday afternoon at California's Spieker Aquatics Complex. UCLA fell to 82-91 all-time against the Cardinal.
The Bruins had six players score in the contest, led by four goals from senior Rafael Real Vergara. Redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsalade was the only other Bruin to score multiple goals with two against the Cardinal.
Senior Garret Griggs got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 14 saves while allowing 11 goals.
Stanford won the first period, 3-2. After a power play goal by the Cardinal, Jucá Carsalade got the Bruins on the board (5:25). The Cardinal scored on the next possession, but UCLA answered with Noah Rowe scoring (3:04) from the front court on the second straight assist from senior Jack Larsen. Stanford scored a power play goal (0:52) to end the scoring in the first period.
Stanford would win the second quarter, 2-1, to build a 5-3 lead at halftime. The Cardinal scored the first two goals of the second quarter to make it 5-2. The Bruins finally scored on a power play with 0:57 remaining after Jucá Carsalade set up Real Vergara for his first goal.
Both teams earned a 3-3 draw in the third as Stanford would score first to go up by three each time and UCLA would answer each Cardinal goal to cut it to two. Real Vergara's second goal (4:55) trimmed the lead to 6-4. His third goal off an assist from Rowe (2:13) made it 7-5. Freshman Ben Liechty scored the final goal of the third period (0:47) to make the score 8-6 heading into the fourth.
The Bruins won the fourth period, 3-1, to send the game into overtime tied at 9-9. Jack Larsen scored the first goal of the fourth (7:34) off a feed from Jucá Carsalade to cut the deficit to 8-7. After a goal by Stanford (5:31), Jucá Carsalade scored his second off a feed from Jack Larsen (4:48) to make it 9-8. Then senior Giorgio Alessandria knotted the game at 9-9 (3:37) on a power play off an assist from Real Vergara.
Stanford would take an 11-9 lead with two scores in the first overtime period. Real Vergara scored his fourth after making a strong spinning drive and finish to bring the Bruins to within one at 11-10 with 0:28 remaining. But the Cardinal ran out the clock to preserve the win.
UP NEXT: The Bruins now await their seeding for an at-large bid as the team with the best record in the country at 24-2, which includes a 3-0 record against No. 2 California, a 3-1 record against No. 3 USC, and a 2-1 record against No. 4 Stanford.
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Stanford (MPSF Championship - Third-Place Contest- Game 26)
6x5 - UCLA - 2/7 - STAN - 4/9
Penalties - UCLA - 0/1 - STAN - 0/0
STAN Goals: Riley Pittman 4, Grant Watson 2, Ethan Parrish 2, Gavin West 1, Soren Jensen 1, Tanner Pulice 1
STAN Saves: Liam Harrison 14
UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 4, Frederico Jucá Carsalade 2, Jack Larsen 1, Noah Rowe 1, Ben Liechty 1, Giorgio Alessandria 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 14
The Bruins had six players score in the contest, led by four goals from senior Rafael Real Vergara. Redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsalade was the only other Bruin to score multiple goals with two against the Cardinal.
Senior Garret Griggs got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 14 saves while allowing 11 goals.
Stanford won the first period, 3-2. After a power play goal by the Cardinal, Jucá Carsalade got the Bruins on the board (5:25). The Cardinal scored on the next possession, but UCLA answered with Noah Rowe scoring (3:04) from the front court on the second straight assist from senior Jack Larsen. Stanford scored a power play goal (0:52) to end the scoring in the first period.
Stanford would win the second quarter, 2-1, to build a 5-3 lead at halftime. The Cardinal scored the first two goals of the second quarter to make it 5-2. The Bruins finally scored on a power play with 0:57 remaining after Jucá Carsalade set up Real Vergara for his first goal.
Both teams earned a 3-3 draw in the third as Stanford would score first to go up by three each time and UCLA would answer each Cardinal goal to cut it to two. Real Vergara's second goal (4:55) trimmed the lead to 6-4. His third goal off an assist from Rowe (2:13) made it 7-5. Freshman Ben Liechty scored the final goal of the third period (0:47) to make the score 8-6 heading into the fourth.
The Bruins won the fourth period, 3-1, to send the game into overtime tied at 9-9. Jack Larsen scored the first goal of the fourth (7:34) off a feed from Jucá Carsalade to cut the deficit to 8-7. After a goal by Stanford (5:31), Jucá Carsalade scored his second off a feed from Jack Larsen (4:48) to make it 9-8. Then senior Giorgio Alessandria knotted the game at 9-9 (3:37) on a power play off an assist from Real Vergara.
Stanford would take an 11-9 lead with two scores in the first overtime period. Real Vergara scored his fourth after making a strong spinning drive and finish to bring the Bruins to within one at 11-10 with 0:28 remaining. But the Cardinal ran out the clock to preserve the win.
UP NEXT: The Bruins now await their seeding for an at-large bid as the team with the best record in the country at 24-2, which includes a 3-0 record against No. 2 California, a 3-1 record against No. 3 USC, and a 2-1 record against No. 4 Stanford.
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Stanford (MPSF Championship - Third-Place Contest- Game 26)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1OT | 2OT | FINAL |
| No. 4 Stanford | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
Penalties - UCLA - 0/1 - STAN - 0/0
STAN Goals: Riley Pittman 4, Grant Watson 2, Ethan Parrish 2, Gavin West 1, Soren Jensen 1, Tanner Pulice 1
STAN Saves: Liam Harrison 14
UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 4, Frederico Jucá Carsalade 2, Jack Larsen 1, Noah Rowe 1, Ben Liechty 1, Giorgio Alessandria 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 14