Oct. 20, 2008

STANFORD, Calif. - For the second straight week, and the third time overall in this 2008 season, a Stanford men's water polo player captured MPSF Mikasa Player of the Week honors. This time, redshirt junior goalkeeper Jimmie Sandman got the nod for his 11-save performance in No. 2 Stanford's 12-2 rout of No. 4 UCLA, the conference announced Monday.

Sandman, returning to the Cardinal cage after redshirting the 2007 season, has asserted himself as one of the top goalies in the nation, leading all full-time MPSF goalies with a goals-against average of just 4.00. Saturday in Pasadena, the Los Altos Hills native stopped 11 Bruin shots to highlight a Stanford defensive effort that kept fourth-ranked UCLA off of the scoreboard for the game's first 13 minutes in the 12-2 victory.

On the year, Sandman's 4.00 goals-against average is complemented by his 7.00 saves a game (98 in 14 appearances), and he anchors a team defense that is ranked second in the MPSF with just 4.65 goals allowed per game.

No. 2 Stanford (15-2, 1-0 MPSF) resumes MPSF action with a pair of home contests this week, welcoming No. 16 Pacific to Avery Aquatic Center Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. before hosting No. 10 Long Beach State Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m.