UCLA
USC
No. 2 UCLA Advances to NorCal Finals with 9-7 Win Over No. 3 USC
September 21, 2014 | Men's Water Polo
STOCKTON, Calif. -- The No. 2 UCLA men's water polo team advanced to the finals of the Kap7 NorCal Classic on Sunday afternoon with a 9-7 win over No. 3 USC at Pacific's Chris Kjeldsen Pool. The Bruins improved to 11-0 on the year while the Trojans dropped to 10-1. UCLA has now won three of the last four over USC and looks to defend its 2013 NorCal Championship against No. 1 Stanford tonight at 5:20 p.m.
The Bruins were led by a pair of players with two goals, including junior Danny McClintick and sophomore Ryder Roberts. But it was senior Cristiano Mirarchi that scored the eventual game-winner on a counter attack late in the fourth period to break a 7-7 tie.
With the win, the Bruins take a 5-0 lead over USC in the SoCal BMW Crosstown Cup, formerly known as The Gauntlet.
UCLA got on the board first when sophomore Chancellor Ramirez made a nice drive and McClintick hit him stride for a score (5:42). Then Mirarchi drew a penalty shot and Roberts converted at the 3:14 mark of the first to give UCLA a 2-0 lead. Grant Stein then cut the lead to 2-1 (2:01), but Roberts scored his second of the game with a bar-down power play goal (1:21) to push the lead to 3-1. Marc Vonderweidt scored a backhander for the Trojans (:44) to end the scoring in the first with the Bruins holding a 3-2 advantage.
The Trojans responded in the second period, winning the quarter 3-1 to take a 5-4 lead into the break. Senior Paul Reynolds set up senior Daniel Lenhart as the Bruins led 4-2 with 7:11 to go in the second period. But the Trojans scored three straight to end the quarter for the halftime lead.
UCLA won the defensive-minded third period, 2-1, to tie it at 6-6 heading into the fourth period. The Bruins killed three straight Trojan power plays to open the third. Reynolds would tie the score at 5-5 with his patented lob shot with 1:27 left in the third. But Kostas Genidounias gave the Trojans the lead back on the next possession (1:10). Senior Chris Fahlsing scored a power play goal with :34 to go, ending the scoring in the third.
USC recaptured the momentum with a 6-on-5 goal by Mac Carden to take a 7-6 lead with 5:34 remaining in the fourth period. But McClintick, wearing number seven, fittingly tied it at 7-7 with a bar-down goal with 5:07 to go. UCLA's defense went to work and shutout the Trojans the rest of the way. Mirarchi would provide the game-winner with a steal and counter attack score (3:52) to give UCLA an 8-7 edge. McClintick added an insurance goal (2:55) as the Bruins spent the majority of the remainder of the fourth running out the clock.
The game was won on power plays as the Bruins were 3-for-7 but the Trojans were a paltry 1-for-9. UCLA converted the only penalty shot of the game.
Sophomore Garrett Danner started in goal for UCLA and played the entire game, making 14 saves (one off his career high), including five on Trojan power plays. He was at the top of his game defensively, also picking up six steals. Freshman McQuin Baron started the game in goal for USC and played the entire contest and was credited with nine saves.
No. 3 USC vs. No. 2 UCLA
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| No. 3 USC | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| No. 2 UCLA | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
USC Goals: Kostas Genidounias 2, Grant Stein, Mac Carden, Bryce Hoerman, Lachlan Edwards, Marc Vonderweidt
USC Saves: McQuin Baron 9
UCLA Goals: Ryder Roberts 2, Danny McClintick 2, Cristiano Mirarchi, Chris Fahlsing, Paul Reynolds, Chancellor Ramirez, Daniel Lenhart
UCLA Saves: Garrett Danner 14
