The University of California, Berkeley’s California Golden Bears men’s water polo team, ranked No. 1, fell 15-11 to No. 2 Stanford Cardinal on November 13, 2026, at Avery Aquatic Center in Stanford, California, concluding their regular season.
The contest remained closely matched through the first half, with the teams tied at 4-4 after the first period and 7-7 at halftime. Stanford gained a 10-8 lead after the third quarter and extended their advantage to four goals in the fourth. California narrowed the margin to two late but was unable to recover.
California finished the regular season with a 15-5 overall record and a 4-3 mark in the MPSF. The Golden Bears struggled on the power play, converting just one of nine 6-on-5 opportunities while committing 11 exclusions. Sophomore attacker Kai Inoue led Cal’s offense with a hat trick, scoring three goals on four shots. Freshman defender Amir Shafrir contributed two goals on two shots.
Stanford improved to 19-2 overall and 5-1 in the MPSF, entering the postseason with a six-game winning streak. The Golden Bears await the outcome of the UCLA-USC matchup to finalize their seeding for the MPSF Championship, set for November 20-22 in Los Angeles.
CSB Take
The loss to Stanford caps a strong regular season for the California Golden Bears men’s water polo team, marking their best pre-postseason record since their 2023 NCAA Championship run. Power-play inefficiencies in this game highlight an area the Bears must improve before the MPSF Championship. With dynamic scorers like Kai Inoue and promising freshman Amir Shafrir, California remains poised to be a competitive force. The upcoming postseason tournament will be critical for the Golden Bears’ pursuit of another title opportunity.
Source: Original report
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