STANFORD — The men’s water polo teams from UCLA and USC are set to compete for the NCAA national championship for the seventh occasion, marking their first meeting in the final since 2017, following their semifinal victories on Saturday. The Bruins, the top seed with a record of 25-2, will face the second-seeded Trojans, who […]
STANFORD — The men’s water polo teams from UCLA and USC are set to compete for the NCAA national championship for the seventh occasion, marking their first meeting in the final since 2017, following their semifinal victories on Saturday.
The Bruins, the top seed with a record of 25-2, will face the second-seeded Trojans, who are 23-5, in the championship match on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center, which will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
In an exhilarating semifinal, USC prevailed over the previously unbeaten No. 3 seed Fordham, winning 18-16 in overtime, securing their chances to compete in the final for the 18th time during their 20 consecutive appearances at the tournament. After the Rams (32-1) forced OT with a goal in the last 1:20 of regulation, USC netted three consecutive goals to take control, helping head coach Marko Pintaric earn his 100th win with the team.
USC’s junior Andrej Grgurevic recorded a personal best with five goals, while Robert López Duart contributed four. Max Miller and Jack Martin each added three goals, and goalkeeper Bernardo Herzer made 17 saves.
UCLA found themselves trailing fourth-seeded Stanford 5-2 after the opening period but managed to tie the game by halftime and pulled ahead by two goals in the fourth period to secure a 17-14 victory.
Freshman Ryder Dodd led the Bruins with six goals. Redshirt sophomore Frederico Jucá Carsalade netted three, while redshirt junior Chase Dodd and graduate transfer Nico Tierney both contributed two goals each. Redshirt freshman Nate Tauscher recorded five saves in his second college start.
The last encounter between UCLA and USC in the finals saw the Bruins clinch a narrow victory, 7-6, in 2020, capturing their 12th national title.
USC’s most recent championship came in 2018, when they defeated Stanford 14-12 for their 10th NCAA title. The Trojans faced defeats in the final on their last three appearances (2020-22), losing all by a single goal. UCLA fell to Cal, 13-11, in last year’s championship.
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