PALO ALTO, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara men’s water polo team came off a 13-4 win against San Jose State on the road to play No. 3 ranked Stanford. Senior attacker Derek Shoemaker led the way with four goals, junior utility Reed Cotterill added a hat trick, but it wouldn’t be enough to top the Cardinals. Stanford would win the game 10-8.
Mitch Hamilton and Derek Shoemaker kicked off the game with a pair of goals to put the Gauchos up 2-0. Stanford would respond later in the quarter with a power play goal and goal from regular possession to tie up the game.
Two Cardinal goals started the second quarter, but Shoemaker would get in his second goal of the day soon after to keep the score 4-3. Reed Cotterill tallied his first goal to tie up the game, but the Cardinals would score again to keep a one point lead at half.
The penalty-filled third quarter would feature one Stanford goal and one more goal from Shoemaker to send the game into the fourth quarter, 6-5, Stanford.
Shoemaker would score his fourth goal of the day in the fourth quarter, along with a pair of goals from Cotterill, but four goals from Stanford would end the game with a two-point deficit for the Gauchos. Stanford finished the game with a 10-8 win.
Senior goalkeeper Chris Whitelegge recorded 15 saves against the Cardinal offense.
Catch the Gauchos in their final home match of the season on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 11:00 am at Campus Pool.
