UCLA
2-5
USC
5-3
No. 2 UCLA Gets Huge Road Win at No. 2 USC, 7-5
February 07, 2021 | Men's Water Polo
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Freshman Mo Kenney got the Bruins on the board first with a power play goal (6:04). The Trojans would convert a penalty shot to provide the only other score of the first period.
Freshman Tanner Pulice struck first for UCLA in the second (6:39) on a counter to put the Bruins up 2-1. Senior Chasen Travisano set up Gruwell for a power play goal (3:17) to put UCLA up 3-1. The Trojans answered with another penalty score and a power play goal to tie the game at 3-3 at halftime.
Redshirt freshman Jack Larsen set up sophomore Gabe Discipulo for a one-timer on a 6-on-5 (6:20) to open the scoring in the third, giving UCLA a 4-3 edge. Gruwell then converted a penalty shot (drawn by Travisano) for his second score of the game to push the lead to 5-3. After a counter goal by the Trojans, the Bruins got an answer from senior Nicolas Saveljic, who scored on a power play (1:13) to make it 6-4 and end the scoring in the third with the eventual game-winning goal.
After the Trojans struck first with a cross-cage goal (7:35) to open the scoring in the fourth, both teams' defenses went to work. But Gruwell would not be denied his hat trick as he scored on a near-side shot (2:21) after an ordinary foul to give the Bruins a 7-5 advantage that would prove to be the final score.
Sophomore Bernardo Maurizi had a stellar outing in the cage, recording 10 saves and one steal while holding the Trojans to a season-low five goals (only two at even strength).
Nic Porter registered eight saves for USC, which was led in scoring by Jacob Mercep with two goals.
The Bruins will take a week off before traveling to Stanford to face these three same teams again, beginning with the Trojans on Saturday, Feb. 20 at a time TBD.
No. 2 UCLA at No. 2 USC (Uytengsu Aquatics Center)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 2 UCLA | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| No. 2 USC | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
6x5 - UCLA - 4/10 - USC - 1/8
Penalties - UCLA - 1/1 - USC - 2/2
USC Goals: Jacob Mercep 2, Luke Wyatt 1, Carson Kranz 1, Chris Sturtevant 1
USC Saves: Nic Porter 8
UCLA Goals: Tommy Gruwell 3, Nicolas Saveljic 1, Mo Kenney 1, Tanner Pulice 1, Gabe Discipulo 1
UCLA Saves: Bernardo Maurizi 10
Team Stats
Mo Kenney
6:04
Jacob Mercep
3:59
Tanner Pulice
6:39
Tommy Gruwell
3:17
Luke Wyatt
1:18
Jacob Mercep
0:39
Gabe Discipulo
6:26
Tommy Gruwell
5:45
Carson Kranz
1:46
Nicolas Saveljic
1:13
Chris Sturtevant
7:35
Tommy Gruwell
2:21
