UCSB held fifth-ranked Stanford scoreless in the third period and held off the Cardinal in the fourth to pull off a 7-6 water polo victory on Saturday at Campus Pool.
The No. 6 Gauchos broke a 4-4 halftime tie on a penalty-shot goal by Boris Jovanovic at the 3:45 mark of the third. Josh Jordan scored on a power play and Reed Cotterill tipped in a lob from Brannan Haket to make a 7-4 game.
UCSB’s defense kept the Cardinal at bay until late in the fourth period. Stanford scored back-to-back goals to pull to within one. The Gauchos withstood heavy pressure and celebrated the upset win.
Goalie Liam Lenihan played a brilliant game for the Gauchos, coming up with 15 saves.
Jovanovic led the team in scoring with two goals. Cotterill, Ivan Gvozdanovic, Mitchell Hamilton, Shane Hauschild, and Jordan all chipped in one goal.