Fought to the Finish

STANFORD, Calif. - No. 3 UCLA defeated No. 4 Stanford 11-10 in Sunday's MPSF championship game at the Avery Aquatic Center.

Seeking its fourth straight MPSF title, Stanford (19-6) had to settle for a runner-up finish and will await word on its postseason status for the NCAA Championship.

No. 3 UCLA 11, No. 4 Stanford 10

Tyler Abramson opened the scoring midway through the first quarter but the contest swung in favor of UCLA during the first half as the Bruins jumped out to a 6-2 lead heading into the break.

Stanford brought the contest back to a one-goal game on four occasions throughout the second half, but the Cardinal was unable to find an equalizing goal.

Abramson scored a second goal to jumpstart the comeback attempt and added a third in the fourth quarter to record his second hat trick in as many matches.

AJ Rossman provided an offensive spark, scoring a goal early in the fourth quarter to cut UCLA's lead to 8-7 while also providing three assists in the second half. Quinn Woodhead chipped in a pair of strikes, including the final goal of the game with 18 seconds remaining.

The two teams were evenly matched in shots, with Stanford holding a 28-27 edge. The Bruins held the advantage in the shot percentage, however, scoring on 41.0 percent of their shots compared to the Cardinal's 36.0 clip.

Nolan Krutonog added eight saves and a steal from the cage.

No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 4 Stanford
Nov. 21, 2021 • Stanford, Calif.
UCLA 1 – 5 – 2 – 3 = 11
STAN 2 – 0 – 4 – 4 = 10

Stanford Goals: Tyler Abramson (3), Quinn Woodhead (2), AJ Rossman (1), Beck Jurasius (1), Walker Seymour (1), Jackson Painter (1), Ike Love (1)

UCLA Goals: Felix Brozyna-Vilim (3), Tommy Gruwell (2), Jake Cavano (2), Evan Rosenfeld (1), Gianpiero Di Martire (1), Chase Dodd (1), Chase Travisano (1)

Saves: Nolan Krutonog (8), Bernardo Maurizi (8)