Nov. 16, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

USC (21-1 overall, 7-0 MPSF) locked up the No. 1 seed in the MPSF Tournament which it will host (Nov. 27-29), by virtue of a 13-12 overtime win over No. 3 Stanford. Saturday's win in the battle of MPSF unbeatens marked the 14th straight overall win for the Trojans, and 38th straight at home. Jordan Thompson and Justin Rappel scored four goals apiece, with Rappel pouring in the OT game-winner. Goalkeeper Joel Dennerley had 10 saves in the cage. USC hosts UC Irvine Saturday (Nov. 21) in the final conference game to close the regular season.

CALIFORNIA (20-4 overall, 6-1 MPSF) picked up an MPSF win Saturday over Pacific, 12-5, as Luka Saponjic posted a hat trick. Ivan Rackov and Zach White added a pair of goals each. Spencer Warden recorded six goals in a 15-4 win at No. 13 Santa Clara Sunday. The Bears take a nine-game win streak into rival Stanford Saturday (Nov. 21), with the winner receiving the No. 2 seed in the following week's conference tournament.

UCLA (19-6 overall, 5-3 MPSF) secured a No. 4 MPSF Tournament seed with a 9-7 regular season ending win over UC Santa Barbara at home. Scott Davidson tallied a pair of goals and moved into a fifth-place tie on the school's all-time scoring list (143). Goalkeeper Chay Lapin's seven saves placed him third all-time (680). The Bruins are next in action at the conference tournament, Nov. 27, taking on the No. 5 seed.

PEPPERDINE (11-10 overall, 3-4 MPSF) took a thrilling five-overtime decision at UC Irvine Sunday, 15-14. The Waves trailed by two at the half, by one after three, and by one after the first OT. Christian Cardey completed a hat trick in scoring the game-winner with 19 seconds left in the fifth OT, on the heels of tying the game at 14 in the second OT. JP MacDonell tallied a game-high five goals and Tommy O'Connell registered 14 saves in the cage. Pepperdine hosts UCSB in the finale Saturday (Nov. 21). A win or a UCI loss solidifies the No. 5 tournament seed.

UC IRVINE (15-10 overall, 3-4 MPSF) won 9-7 at UC Santa Barbara, before the tough 15-14 (5 OT) home loss to Pepperdine. Matt Johnson picked up 15 saves in goal while Brandon Johnson and Kyle Baxter scored four and three goals respectively in the loss. Cole Bielskis had three goals in the win. UCI visits top-ranked USC Saturday. The Anteaters will then be seeded fifth or sixth in the conference tournament.

LONG BEACH STATE (9-11 overall, 1-6 MPSF) won its final home game, 8-6 over No. 6 Loyola Marymount, Alex Petrovic recorded a hat trick while goalkeeper Derek Wiebe-Bailey had 15 saves. Long Beach State travels to Pacific Saturday, where a win guarantees a spot in the MPSF Tournament the following week.

STANFORD (19-2 overall, 6-1 MPSF) was edged 13-12 in overtime at No. 1 USC. Janson Wigo and Paul Rudolph tallied four goals apiece, while Jimmie Sandman registered 12 saves in goal. California visits on Saturday (Nov. 21), with a No. 2 MPSF Tournament seed on the line. Each team owns a non-conference win over the other this year.

UC SANTA BARBARA (12-13 overall, 1-6 MPSF) dropped a pair of 9-7 MPSF outcomes, at home against UC Irvine and at UCLA. Zsombor Vincze recorded a game-high four goals against the Bruins, and tied for a game-high three goals against the Anteaters. The Gauchos wrap up the regular season at Pepperdine Saturday, where a win would result in a No. 7 tournament seed. UCSB has won two non-conference games by one goal over Pepperdine.

PACIFIC (12-15 overall, 0-7 MPSF) was edged 7-6 by UC Davis, before falling in MPSF play at Cal, 12-5. David Andrus collected 10 saves against the Aggies. The Tigers host Long Beach State Saturday in the season finale.

THOMPSON AND MACDONELL MPSF MIKASA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
USC senior two-meter Jordan Thompson (La Canada, CA/La Canada HS) scored a career-high four goals in addition to earning five ejections, while leading a 13-12 overtime win over No. 3 Stanford. He scored a pair of fourth quarter goals to help force OT. The Trojans sealed the MPSF Tournament No. 1 seed with the win.

Pepperdine senior attacker JP MacDonell (Redwood City, CA/Bellarmine Prep) scored a game and season-high five goals in a key MPSF win at No. 7 UC Irvine Sunday (15-14, 5 OT). Ironically, MacDonell also earned this award after an identical five-goal outing against the Anteaters a year ago (11/09/08). Also nominated: Brandon Johnson (UCI); Spencer Warden (CAL)