Nov. 24, 2012
MPSF Championship Central
Webcast for Sunday's Third-Place Game
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - No. 3 Stanford's furious comeback in the fourth period of Saturday's MPSF Championship semifinal against No. 1 USC fell just short, leaving the Cardinal with the short end of an 11-10 decision at the McDonald's Swim Stadium.
The Cardinal (16-6), which is the only team this season to score 10 goals against unbeaten USC (26-0), will play in Sunday's third-place game against the winner of Saturday afternoon's second semifinal between UCLA and California. The third-place game is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. Sunday and will be webcast at http://pac-12.com/live/usctrojans.aspx.
Trailing by three going into the final period Saturday, Stanford scored five times and thrice fought its way back to within a goal of the Trojans in the final frame, but could not overcome USC. Four USC goals to just one for the Cardinal in the third frame turned a 4-4 halftime score into 8-5 heading into the final eight minutes.
Freshman BJ Churnside scored two of his four goals late in the frame to pull the Cardinal to within 9-8 with 2:35 to play, but USC's Nikola Vavic responded with a goal to get the Trojan lead back to two with just over two minutes to go. Stanford would earn a 6-on-5 the next time down the pool, and Alex Bowen would power home one of his four goals on the day, again halving the Trojan lead this time at 10-9 with 1:40 to play.
The Trojans would respond once more, however, on the arm of Mace Rapsey with 1:18 to go, reassuming its two-goal advantage. Stanford managed a late power-play goal to get within one for the third time, but USC would manage to run out the clock to preserve its win.
Stanford, after trailing 2-1 following the opening period, raced out for three goals against just two for the Trojans in the second to make it a 4-4 game at the break.
Along with the four goals apiece from Bowen and Churnside, the Cardinal got two goals from Bret Bonanni. Goalie Scott Platshon made 11 saves on the defensive end.
Stanford - 1 3 1 5 = 10
USC - 2 2 4 3 = 11
Stanford Goal Scorers - Bowen 4, Churnside 4, Bonanni 2
USC Goal Scorers - Genidounias 4, Rapsey 2, Vavic 2, Virjee 2, Davie
Goalie Saves - Platshon 11 (S); Clark 10 (USC)