No. 2 UCLA Faces No. 3 Cal at NCAAs

SOCIAL MEDIA: MWP on Twitter | MWP on Facebook | MWP on Instagram

BERKELEY, Calif. – No. 2 UCLA (25-2) will face No. 3 California (21-4) in the second semifinal of the 2016 NCAA Championship in Berkeley, Calif., at Spieker Aquatics Complex on Dec. 3 at 5:12 p.m. PT. No. 1 USC (23-1) squares off with No. 9 Harvard (27-6) in the first semifinal at 3:00 p.m. The semifinals on Dec. 3 can be seen live online by clicking here. The Championship game on Sunday, Dec. 4 will take place at 3:00 p.m. PT and can be seen live online by clicking here. You can access the NCAA Championship game program by clicking here.

NCAA Championship Weekend
Semifinals
Dec. 3 @ Spieker Aquatics Complex
USC (23-1) vs. Harvard (27-6), 3 p.m.
UCLA (25-2) vs. Cal (21-4), 5:12 p.m.

Final
Dec. 4 @ Spieker Aquatics Complex
Teams TBD, 3 p.m.

NCAA Tournament History
The UCLA Bruins seek to defend their back-to-back NCAA titles this weekend as the No. 2 seed in Berkeley, Calif. This is the 32nd appearance by UCLA in the NCAA Tournament having won 10 previous titles and finishing second nine times. The Bruins enter championship weekend with an all-time record of 57-25 (.695) and have scored a combined 863 goals in the NCAA.Tournament while allowing 565. Last year as hosts, the Bruins defended their 2014 title by beating UC San Diego 17-4 in the semifinals and USC 10-7 in the title game. Ryder Roberts and Patrick Fellner each scored twice for the Bruins while Garrett Danner racked up 13 saves. Roberts was named NCAA Tournament MVP. The 2014 championship at UC San Diego began with a semifinal win over the hosts, 15-6, and a thrilling 9-8 win over USC with Gordon Marshall, now a senior, scoring the game-winning goal with 0:34 remaining. Daniel McClintick, now an undergraduate assistant coach, scored a game-high four goals in that contest and was named the NCAA Tournament MVP.

Recapping the Winning Streak
During the season, the Bruins set an all-time NCAA and all-time UCLA men's water polo record for consecutive victories with 57 straight wins. The previous UCLA record was 50 wins and was set from 1964-68, while the previous NCAA record was set by Stanford with 51 wins from 1985-87. The Bruins broke the NCAA-record for consecutive wins after a 15-8 victory against UC Davis, marking their 52nd victory (Oct. 9). UCLA's 57-game win streak began Nov. 23, 2014 with a 10-5 victory over USC in the MPSF tournament. The streak lasted 720 days. During the winning streak, UCLA went 26-0 in MPSF action. The Bruins won 32 games against top 10 teams and 18 games against top five teams, including six straight wins over crosstown rival USC. Three wins were decided by two goals and seven wins were decided by just one goal. Only two wins were in overtime. Throughout the streak, UCLA was dominant at home with a 15-0 record at Spieker Aquatics Center, but also proved to be competitive on the road and in neutral situations as well. The Bruins were 18-0 as visitors and 24-0 at neutral sites. UCLA outscored its opponents 752-305 (13.20 gpg-5.4 gpg) in the 720-day span.

Roelse Named MPSF/Kap7 Player of the Week
UCLA junior utility Alex Roelse (Maarssen, Netherlands/Winford Stebo) was named the MPSF/Kap7 Player of the Week on Oct. 24 as announced by the league. He helped the Bruins remain undefeated on the year and run their all-time NCAA record winning streak to 54 straight games with a game-high three goals in a 7-6 MPSF victory at No. 2 California (Oct. 22). He also drew one exclusion and added one assist. The win over the Golden Bears improved UCLA's record to 21-0 overall and 1-0 in the MPSF while extending its winning streak in league games to 25. This was Roelse's first career MPSF weekly award.

Goldenberg Named MPSF/Kap7 Newcomer of the Week
UCLA redshirt freshman Eric Goldenberg (Ft. Lauderdale, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas HS) was named the MPSF/Kap7 Newcomer of the Week on Oct. 3 as announced by the league. He scored four goals on four shots in two wins as the Bruins tied their school record of 50 consecutive victories (Oct. 1). Goldenberg opened with one goal in an 11-0 win over No. 13 UC Irvine, also adding two field blocks. Then in a 17-4 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, he tied his season-high with a game-high three goals while adding one steal. This was Goldenberg's first career MPSF honor and the first for UCLA in 2016.

Farmer Named UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week
UCLA junior center Matt Farmer (La Grange, Ill/Fenwick HS) was voted the UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week for Sept. 26-Oct. 1. Farmer helped UCLA tie its school record of 50 consecutive victories with three goals in two home games at the start of the month. He tied for the team lead in scoring with two goals in an 11-0 win over No. 13 UC Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 1. He also drew two exclusions against the Anteaters. Then later that day, in a 17-4 win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, he scored once while recording one assist and drawing another exclusion. This was Farmer's first UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week honor of the season and of his career. He is currently seventh on the team in scoring with 20 goals in 24 games and is second on the team in earned exclusions (30).

Fellner On Fire
Senior Patrick Fellner is currently leading the team in scoring with 38 goals (7th in the MPSF) and has played in 22 of 27 games with 16 starts. He tallied a hat trick in a 7-6 win over Stanford (Oct. 29), lifting the Bruins past the Cardinal with a game-winning nearside goal at the end of the fourth quarter. Fellner scored two goals and registered four steals in a 7-6 win over No. 2 California (Oct. 22) and four goals in the 11-10 overtime win over Cal in the MPSF Tournament semifinal (Nov. 18). He is tied for fifth on the team in assists (18) and is fourth on the squad in steals (20). Fellner ranks fifth in earned exclusions (18) and has won 15 sprints (tied for 2nd on the team). He has scored three or more goals in seven games this season.

Picking Up Where He Left Off
Senior Ryder Roberts is currently second on the team in scoring with 33 goals (10th in the MPSF) and has played in 22 of 27 games with 19 starts. He led all scorers with a hat trick in the Bruins' 8-7 loss at USC (Nov. 12) and led UCLA with two scores in the 9-6 loss to USC in the MPSF finals (Nov. 19). He is third on the team in assists (25) and has won 15 sprints (tied for 2nd on the squad). Roberts has also been key on defense for the Bruins, leading the team in steals (38) and field blocks (14). His versatility was displayed in the Bruins' 7-6 win over Stanford (Oct. 29) as he scored a goal and also registered three assists and two steals. Roberts led UCLA in scoring a year ago with 57 goals. He has 156 career goals and is currently 7th on UCLA's all-time Top 10 list.

The Irving Impact
Junior Max Irving is currently third on the team in scoring with 29 goals (15th in the MPSF) and has played in 23 of 27 games with 19 starts. A few weeks ago, he scored two goals in a 10-7 win over UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 13). Irving also recently tallied five steals and five goals in wins against No. 4 Pacific and No. 11 UC Davis, including a hat trick in the 9-5 victory over the fourth-ranked Tigers (Oct. 8). He led the Bruins in scoring with a hat trick in the 10-7 win over No. 2 California in the championship game of the Mountain Pacific Invitational (Sept. 25). Irving has tallied 35 assists (1st on the team), 23 steals (3rd on the team) and 11 field blocks (2nd on the team). He has registered five hat tricks on the year.

Roelse on a Roll
Junior Alex Roelse is fourth on the team in scoring with 28 goals (13th in the MPSF) and has played in 20 of 27 games, making four starts. He led the Bruins in scoring in three consecutive games in October with hat tricks each time. He tallied his third straight hat trick in a 7-6 win over No. 2 California (Oct. 22). He also led the Bruins with three goals in their 10-7 win at UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 13). Roelse also scored five goals in two games when the Bruins traveled to play No. 4 Pacific and No. 11 UC Davis, leading the team with a hat trick against the Aggies on Sunday to seal the Bruins' NCAA-record 52nd consecutive victory (Oct. 9). He has tallied 18 assists (tied for 5th on the team) and 11 steals on the year. Roelse represented the United States in men's water polo at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Fuentes A Force
Senior Joey Fuentes is tied for fifth on the squad in scoring with 22 goals and has played in all 27 games, making five starts. He registered a hat trick in the Bruins' win over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Oct. 1) and led the Bruins in scoring with four goals in the 18-7 win over Pomona-Pitzer (Sept. 23). Fuentes is second on the team in assists with 31. He is tied for 7th on the team with 14 steals and has won nine sprints (4th on the squad). He has scored at least one goal in 13 of the 27 games he has played in.

Bruins Solid In The Cage
The Bruins have used four different goalkeepers in 2016, including Cutino Award winner and this year's MPSF Player of the Year and last year's league (MPSF) and National Player of the Year, Garrett Danner. With 55.1233 quarters (13.780825 games) played so far, he is averaging 10.74 saves per game while holding a 6.02 goals against average. Junior Aleksandar Ruzic has spent the second-most time in the cage, playing 45.6267 quarters (11.406675 games) while averaging 8.59 saves per game to go with a 4.82 goals against average. Redshirt freshman Jonathan Van De Velde played the second half of the Bruins' win over Chapman (Sept. 4) as well as the second half of the Bruins' victory against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Oct. 1) and has a saves average of 9.0 per game to go with his team-best 3.00 goals against average. Senior goalkeeper Elliot Ordway made his 2016 debut against San Jose State and Whittier (Nov. 5), tallying six total saves. He has a saves average of 8.0 per game to go with a 5.33 goals against average.

Adjustments Made
UCLA has only allowed 29 goals in the third period over 27 games, its best defensive period, outscoring its opposition 92-29 in that span. The Bruins have only allowed 13 goals in the third period in their last 12 games.

Hat Tricks Galore
UCLA has had at least one hat trick in 23 of 27 games and multiple hat tricks in six of the 27 contests. Additionally, the Bruins had four hat tricks in the 16-5 win over St. Francis Brooklyn (Sept. 11) as Ryder Roberts, Matt Farmer, Max Irving and Patrick Fellner each scored three goals against the Terriers. UCLA has had a hat trick in nine of its last 12 games.

Wright on Deck
UCLA Head Coach Adam Wright, the 2014 and 2015 ACWPC Coach of the Year, is in his eighth season in 2016 at the helm of the Bruins' program, sporting an overall record of 206-32 (.866), including a 50-10 (.833) mark in MPSF action. He was won two NCAA titles as a coach (2014 & 2015) and two as a player (1999 & 2000).

Recapping 2015
The Bruins ended the year with a 30-0 record and went a perfect 9-0 in the MPSF for its second-consecutive undefeated league season. UCLA went 4-0 on the year against USC, including a 10-7 victory in the NCAA Championship game to win its second straight NCAA title, the program's 10th overall and the school's 113th. The undefeated season was the first for UCLA since the 1969 team went 19-0, marking the fourth undefeated season all-time in NCAA men's water polo history. The Bruins entered 2016 with a 33-game winning streak (second-longest in school history) and a 24-game winning streak in the MPSF, a school record. This season, UCLA set a new school record for consecutive overall wins with its 51st straight victory (surpassing the previous record set in 1964-68) and also set a new NCAA record for consecutive wins with its 52nd straight win (set on Oct. 9).

Picked to Win MPSF
For the second-straight year, UCLA has finished on top of the MPSF Men's Water Polo Preseason Coaches' poll, collecting the maximum possible 16 points and four first-place votes. Taking second in this year's poll is USC with 13 points and one first-place vote. National runners-up the last two years, the Trojans have reached the NCAA Championship game the last 11 seasons, winning seven titles in that span. They return their top seven scorers from last year, including All-Americans Blake Edwards (68 goals; No. 3 MPSF), Grant Stein, Lachlan Edwards, and Matteo Morelli. Olympians Thomas Dunstan (newcomer) and goalkeeper McQuin Baron are also on the roster. Finishing in the middle of the poll was California with 10 points, coming off a third-place finish at the NCAA Championship in 2015. U.S. Olympian Luca Cupido returns for the Bears, named first-team All-American and NCAA All-Tournament last year. Also back is the reigning MPSF Newcomer of the Year Johnny Hooper (74 goals; No. 2 MPSF), as well as all-conference performers Odysseas Masmanidis (66 goals) and goalkeeper Lazar Andric. Stanford placed fourth in the poll with seven points. Back is All-American Goalkeeper Drew Holland. He enters 2016 with 742 career saves, two away from the school record and 12 away from breaking into the MPSF's all-time top-10. While three of its top-four scorers have graduated (including MPSF all-time leading scorer Bret Bonanni), the Cardinal welcome back Reid Chase (38 goals), Cody Smith, and Connor Stapleton, along with U.S. Olympian Ben Hallock as part of a six-member incoming class. Rounding out the poll of the five-team conference is first-year member Penn State Behrend. The Lions will solely compete in the MPSF Championship Tournament, not in the MPSF's regular season conference schedule. They return All-American Grant Garcia along with Troy Valkusky, and bring in top newcomers Andre Sardaryzadeh, Isaak Hatopp, and Greg Levet. Located in Erie, Pa., NCAA Division III Penn State Behrend comes to the MPSF from the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA).

Polling UCLA
The UCLA Bruins were tabbed as the top-ranked team entering the 2016 season in the Collegiate Water Polo Association's (CWPA) Preseason Poll, and until three weeks ago, were ranked at No. 1 for 28 consecutive weeks, dating back to week 13 of the 2014 poll (Dec. 3, 2014). The Bruins are ranked 2nd in this week's standings. Before this week's poll, the Bruins owned the top spot in 34 of the last 42 weekly polls.

2016 Men's Varsity Top 20 (Week 13/Nov. 30)
Rank	Team	Last Week	Points
1	USC	1	100
2	UCLA	2	95
3	California	3	90
4	Pacific	4	83
5	UC Santa Barbara	5	75
6 (T)	Stanford	6	73
6 (T)	Pepperdine	7	73
8	Long Beach State	8	65
9 (T)	Harvard	10	60
9 (T)	UC Davis	9	60
11	Bucknell	12	51
12	Brown	11	46
13	Princeton	13	39
14	UC San Diego	14	36
15	George Washington	15	28
16	Cal Baptist	16	25
17	Pomona-Pitzer	17	18
18	Loyola Marymount	18	17
19	UC Irvine	19	8
20	St. Francis Brooklyn	20	6

Recent Results

Upcoming Events

No. 2 UCLA Faces No. 3 Cal at NCAAs

2016 Men's Varsity Top 20 (Week 13/Nov. 30)

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Garrett Danner

Matt Farmer

Patrick Fellner

Joey Fuentes

Eric Goldenberg

Max Irving

Gordon Marshall

Daniel McClintick

Elliot Ordway

Ryder Roberts

Alex Roelse

Aleksandar Ruzic

Jonathan Van De Velde

University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics

No. 2 UCLA Faces No. 3 Cal at NCAAs

2016 Men's Varsity Top 20 (Week 13/Nov. 30)

Related News

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Garrett Danner

Matt Farmer

Patrick Fellner

Joey Fuentes

Eric Goldenberg

Max Irving

Gordon Marshall

Daniel McClintick

Elliot Ordway

Ryder Roberts

Alex Roelse

Aleksandar Ruzic

Jonathan Van De Velde

Related Videos