Azevedo Leads Stanford to Men’s Water Polo Title

Tony Azevedo scored four goals, drew several key ejections and forced a turnover in the closing seconds Sunday to lift Stanford to a 7-6 victory over California in the NCAA men’s water polo championship game at Loyola Marymount’s Burns Recreation and Aquatics Center. It’s the second consecutive title for the Cardinal and 10th overall.

Azevedo, a sophomore from Long Beach, scored four of his team’s last five goals.

His fourth goal came on a backhand shot with 4:42 left, giving the Cardinal a 7-4 lead. California, which was trying for its 12th national title, pulled to within one on Greg Panawek’s goal with 1:46 left, but couldn’t capitalize on its last two possessions. Azevedo clinched the victory when he knocked down a pass from Todd Hylton with 10 seconds remaining.

“He’s a great, great player,” California Coach Kirk Everist said. “He’s got a wealth of experience, practically growing up on the national team.”

Azevedo, who at 18 was the youngest member of the 2000 Olympic team, began developing his skills while tagging along with his father, Ricardo, a member of 1976 and 1980 Olympic teams, and an assistant coach for the U.S. teams in 1992 and 1996.

Azevedo said his adrenaline began pumping after teammate Peter Hudnut scored two goals in the opening minutes to give the Cardinal a 2-0 lead. California tied the score, 3-3, midway through the second quarter, but Azevedo drew an ejection on the next possession and scored off his own rebound to give Stanford the lead for good.

“I wanted nothing more than to send [the seniors] out with a championship,” Azevedo said.

-- Dan Arritt

Winter Sports

Didier Cuche of Switzerland shrugged off a 10-minute delay while course workers repaired safety nets and won a World Cup super-giant slalom at Beaver Creek, Colo.

Cuche beat Liechtenstein’s Marco Buechel by 0.08 seconds on the Birds of Prey course for his fourth career win in eight seasons.

Cuche covered the tight course in 1:18.83.

Austria’s Hannes Trinkl was third in 1:18.93. Bode Miller of Franconia, N.H., was sixth in 1:19.12.

Austria’s Stephan Eberharter, seeking his fourth consecutive Alpine skiing victory, went wide in a turn early in his run and couldn’t recover, finishing in a tie for 15th at 1:20.09.

Eberharter, the defending World Cup overall, downhill and super-G champion, had won four of the first six events this season.

The demanding course claimed six skiers among the first 30, including Daron Rahlves of Sugar Bowl, Calif., who fell only 11 seconds into his run.

Austria’s Fritz Strobl, starting 28th, crashed through two safety fences.

He appeared to be unhurt, but the lengthy delay to repair the nets forced Cuche, starting 29th, and Eberharter, starting 30th, to wait.

Olympic bronze medalist Karen Putzer of Italy won a World Cup super-G at Lake Louise, Canada.

Putzer finished in 1:10.68. Germany’s Martina Ertl was second in 1:10.97 and France’s Carole Montillet, the winner of Saturday’s downhill, was third in 1:11.13.

Four-time Olympic biathlon champion Ole Einar Bjorndalen of Norway won his 25th World Cup event, beating defending overall champion Rapahel Poiree of France by 29 seconds in a pursuit at Ostersund, Sweden.

Bjorndalen covered the 12.5-kilometer race in 35:46.4. Germany’s Kati Wilhelm won the women’s 10-kilometer pursuit, finishing 16.1 seconds ahead of Russia’s Olga Zaitseva.

Bjorn Kircheisen of Germany won his third World Cup Nordic combined event in three days at Trondheim, Norway, and Johnny Spillane of Steamboat Springs, Colo., posted his third consecutive top-three finish.

Kircheisen beat countryman Ronny Ackermann by 10 seconds in the 7.5-kilometer cross-country ski race.

Spillane was third, 18.1 seconds behind. He was runner-up Friday, 3.3 seconds behind Kircheisen, and third Saturday, 1.4 seconds back.

Miscellany

Four-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor Lance Armstong was selected Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year. He was presented the award by Sports Illustrated’s Rick Reilly during a one-hour TV special Sunday on Fox.

Armstrong will be on the cover of the magazine’s next issue, which hits newsstands Wednesday.