Valera Sets Mark As Bears Sweep Weekly Awards Again

Cal freshman Roberto Valera became the first player in MPSF history to be named conference Newcomer of the Week five times in one season Monday, as he and junior Nikolaos Papanikolaou gave the Bears a sweep of weekly honors for the fifth time this season.

Papanikolaou was named conference Player of the Week for the third time this year. The five weekly sweeps are also a new MPSF record for a single season.

Valera led the way Saturday during No. 1 Cal's 16-9 dismantling of No. 3 UCLA, posting four goals, two field blocks and an assist to help the Bears wrap up the MPSF regular season championship. He scored the first two goals of a 5-0 second-quarter run that broke a 5-5 tie and put Cal in command.

Earlier in the week, Valera registered two goals and two assists in a 22-7 victory over No. 20 Santa Clara.

Papanikolaou, the defending MPSF Player of the Year, tallied a combined six goals, four assists and two steals in the two games during the week. He also had six earned exclusions against UCLA, including two penalty shots.

Cal has the No. 1 seed at this weekend's MPSF Championships at Stanford and opens play Saturday at 9:30 a.m. against an opponent to be determined.