The water polo competition opened up on Day 9 of the 2011 Pan Am Games on Sunday in Guadalajara, Mexico, highlighted by nine players with Stanford ties in action. The U.S. men racked up a 16-3 win over Venezuela while the women cruised to a 20-0 shutout of Argentina.
The USA men, featuring Stanford alums Tony Azevedo (’05), Layne Beaubien (’99), Peter Hudnut (’03) and Peter Varellas (’06), opened Group B play with their lopsided win over Venezuela.
Varellas, currently a Stanford men’s water polo assistant coach, led all Cardinal alumni with 20:16 of pool time, scoring twice and assisting on three other goals. Hudnut played just over 17 minutes, taking one shot, while Beaubien clocked 16:38 of game action with a pair of shot attempts. Azevedo did not play in the contest.
Seven first-period goals gave the U.S. a commanding 7-0 lead after the opening period, and five more in the second gave the team a 12-2 lead that would hold the rest of the way.
The U.S. continues Group B play Monday against Brazil.
The U.S. women, meanwhile, had an even easier time in its shutout of Argentina in a Group B opener. Stanford’s five representatives — Annika Dries (’14), Melissa Seidemann (’13), Jessica Steffens (’10), Maggie Steffens (’16) and Brenda Villa (’03), accounted for 11 goals in the contest.
Dries paced the team with four goals on five shots, while Villa posted a hat trick along with an assist and a steal. Seidemann scored twice and assisted on two other goals and Maggie Steffens scored twice. Jessica Steffens clocked in with 14:35 of game action in the contest.
Ten goals in each half highlighted an even U.S. effort, and the team will continue Group B play Monday against Puerto Rico.
The USA women’s synchronized swim team won the silver medal behind Canada’s gold, with Stanford’s Morgan Fuller, Megan Hansley, Maria Koroleva and Michelle More helping lead the U.S. squad.
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford SID
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford SID
By Palo Alto Online Sports/Stanford SID