STANFORD, Calif. – On a chilly fall night in the Bay Area, the #16 Pacific men's water polo team dropped a hard-fought match against #3 Stanford, 17-8, Thursday at Avery Aquatic Center.
 
The Tigers fall to 11-9 on the season while the Cardinal improve to 14-5 overall.
 
Freshman Spencer Burdack, junior Daniel Viscia and junior Gil Gvishi each scored a pair of goals in the effort offensively. Gvishi extended his season-long point streak to 20 games.
 
Freshman Benjamin Gronbach earned the start between the posts, collecting five saves and a steal in the first half. Senior Lewis Gale took over in goal for the Tigers after halftime.
 
After some spirited defense by both sides out of the gates, the Cardinal held a 4-2 lead through the first eight minutes of the contest.
 
The Tigers sought a quick response and capitalized, bringing the margin within a goal in the first couple of minutes of the second frame. However, Stanford put its foot on the gas pedal, carrying a 10-5 lead into the halftime break.
 
Opening up the second half, Gvishi launched two far-range shots into the back of the net, cutting into the Stanford lead again. The Cardinal were able to tack on two more goals late in the frame, resulting in a trade of a pair of tallies apiece in the third quarter.
 
The Tigers looked for another spark on offense beginning in the fourth period, but the Cardinal defense locked down and eventually sealed a 17-8 victory.
 
Pacific has an opportunity to rebound with a quick turnaround, facing #20 Santa Clara at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27.