Saturday, October 14
Los Angeles, CA
1:00 PM
UCLA
vs
USC
The top-ranked Bruins will host No. 4 USC on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 1:05 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
Top-Ranked Bruins Hosts No. 4 USC in Crosstown Splashdown
October 12, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELES โ No. 1 UCLA (17-0, 3-0 MPSFย WEST) continuesย MPSFย action this week when it hosts No. 4 USCย (10-4, 0-3ย MPSFย WEST) in the 187th installment of the Crosstown Splashdown at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. The Bruins will take on the Trojans on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1:05 p.m.ย live on the Pac-12 Networks. UCLA will also provide live stats on the 6-8 Sports platform. Advance ticket sales for the game are sold out but a handful of walk-up tickets will be available. Following the battle with the Trojans, the annual Alumni Game will take place (approximately 3:00 p.m.).
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Saturday, Oct. 14 (MPSFย Gameย - Dirks Pool at Spiekerย Aquatics Center)
1:05 PMย PT โ No. 1 UCLA vs. No.ย 4ย USCย |ย LIVE STATSย |ย WATCH
3:00 PMย PT โ UCLA Alumni Game
SERIES HISTORY
UCLA is 95-90-1 all-time against the USC Trojans. The Bruins won the last meeting at the 2023 Overnght MPSF Invitational in the semifinals, 14-10, on Saturday, Sept. 23 at USC.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE TROJANS
Then second-rankedย UCLA (12-0) advanced to the finals of the 2023 Overnght MPSFย Invitational with a 14-10 win at No. 3 USCย (8-2) on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Uytengsuย Aquatics Center.ย The Bruins had seven players score in the contest, led by a season-high seven goals from seniorย Rafael Real Vergara. Vergara finished with nine total points as he also had two assists. Freshmanย Ben Liechtyย was the only other Bruin to reach double digits with two goals (also had one assist). Redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsaladeย scored two points (one goal and one assist) as did seniorย Jack Larsenย (one goal and one assist).ย Seniorย Garret Griggsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 12 saves while surrendering 10 goals.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
The UCLA Bruins currently have five sets of siblings on its men's and women's water polo rosters. On the men's side, brothers Jack Larsen and Ben Larsen, Ben Liechty, and Eli Liechty, and Chase Honaker, and Brett Honaker are three pairs of brothers on the 2023 roster. There are also two brother/sister duos as Trey Doten and Brooke Doten are joined byย Maximo Rossi and Genoa Rossi on the 2023-24 rosters between the two programs. Meanwhile, Bruins Gianpiero Di Martire and Chase Dodd (taking 2023 off to train for the Olympics) have siblings on the USC roster (Massimoย Di Martireย and Ryder Dodd, also taking the year off to train with the national team).
LARSEN LEADING
Redshirt senior attacker Jack Larsen has really stepped up this season, ranking second on the team (tied for 7th in the MPSF) with 27 goals on the year, already surpassing the most for him in any season. Seeking to become an All-America selection for the first time in his career, Larsen scored eight goals, one shy of the MPSF record, and tying for the most in theย Adam Wrightย era (Nicolas Saveljic also scored eight goals against Stanford on Feb. 7, 2021) in the 20-12 win at No. 7 Pacific earlier this season (Sept. 16). But its not just his offensive numbers that have improved. He's also second on the team in assists with a single-season high of 17 assists while ranking second on the squad and tied for third in the league in steals with 20 (also a single-season best as he had 18 entering the season). Additionally, he leads the team and the MPSF in field blocks with 10 (easily a season-best as he had 14 coming into the year).
GARRET GRIGGS TRENDING UP
Another Bruin senior looking for All-American accolades for the first time in his career is reigning MPSF Player of the Week, goalkeeper Garret Griggs. Griggs had double-digit save outings in both of the Top 5 road wins last week (at No. 2 California and No. 5 Stanford) to catapult himself to No. 1 in the MPSF in total saves with 124 on the year (9.7 saves per game).
RAFAEL REAL VERGARAย MAKING AN IMPACT
Senior attacker Rafael Real Vergaraย has made an impact early and often during the 2023 season. The three-time All-American transfer from Long Beach State leads the team in scoring with 41 goals, which is second in the MPSF. He has scored in 11 of the 13 games he has played (10 of them against ranked teams) and has scored multiple goals in every game that he has scored. That includes a season-high seven goals in the 14-10 win at USC in the semifinals of the 2023 Overnght MPSF Invitational. He also has 12 assists on the year to rank first on the team in scoring with 53 points (ranks fifth in the MPSF.
BRUINS SWEEP MPSF WEEKLY AWARDS, AGAIN
The UCLA Bruins swept the MPSF weekly honors as senior Garret Griggsย was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week and freshmanย Marcell Szécsiย wasย named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Oct. 9.ย UCLA went 2-0 last week and remain undefeated on the year at 17-0. The Bruins picked up two Top 5 road wins, defeating No. 2 California, 14-11, and No. 5 Stanford, 11-7. It marked the Bruins' second win over both programs this season.
Griggs, a goalkeeperย out of Riverside, Calif., and Riverside Poly High School,ย had double-digit save efforts in both games, registering 11 stops at Cal and just missed tying his career-high (15) with 14 saves on The Farm. He also had one steal against the Golden Bears and one steal and one assist vs. the Cardinal. Additionally, Griggs and the Bruin defense held Stanford to a season-low seven goals. This was Griggs' first career MPSF weekly award.
Szécsi, a center out of Budapest, Hungary, and Kolping Katolikusย Iskola,ย scored once in both games, totaling two goals on three shots. He opened with a goal and drew three exclusions in the win over the Golden Bears. In the win over the Cardinal, he had one goal, drew one exclusion, and had one steal. This wasย Szécsi'sย second career MPSF award.
RAFAEL REAL VERGARA NAMED UCLA STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Senior attackerย Rafael Real Vergaraย of the UCLA men's water polo team has been selected the UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by Ready, for Sept. 18-24.ย Real Vergara helped lead UCLA to a 4-0 record and MPSF Invitational victory last week to remain undefeated on the year at 13-0. The No. 2 Bruins picked up three top four wins en route to the title, defeating No. 4 Pepperdine, No. 3 USC and No. 1 California. Real Vergara led the tournament field in scoring with 16 goals in just three games while shooting at a .667 clip (16-for-24). He scored five goals and added a steal in the win over Pepperdine and had a season-high seven goals to go with two assists (nine points) and a steal in the win at USC. He finished the tournament with four goals and three assists (seven points) in the upset win of California, snapping the Golden Bears' 15-game winning streak, and snapping a seven-game losing streak to Cal in the process.ย This is Real Vergara's first UCLA student-athlete of the week award of the season and of his career.
RAFAEL REAL VERGARA NAMED MPSFย WEST/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The UCLA senior attackerย Rafael Real Vergaraย (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Modular) has been named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Sept. 25.ย Real Vergara helped lead UCLA to a 4-0 record this past week, winning the 2023 Overnght MPSF Invitational, to remain undefeated on the year at 13-0. The Bruins picked up three top four wins en route to the title, defeating No. 4 Pepperdine, 15-11, No. 3 USC, 14-10, and No. 1 California, 12-10. The Bruins also opened the tournament with a win over Occidental, 18-9, that Real Vergara did not play in as UCLA rested its starters.ย He led the tournament field in scoring with 16 goals in just three games while shooting at a .667 clip (16-for-24). He scored five goals and added a steal in the win over Pepperdine and had a season-high seven goals to go with two assists (nine points) and a steal in the win at USC. He finished the tournament with four goals and three assists (seven points) in the upset win of California, snapping the Golden Bears' 15-game winning streak, and snapping a seven-game losing streak to Cal in the process.ย This is Real Vergara'sย first career MPSF award.
BRUINS SWEEP MPSF WEEKLY AWARDS, JACK LARSEN NAMED UCLA STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
The UCLA Bruins swept the MPSF weekly honors as redshirt seniorย Jack Larsenย was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week and freshmanย Marcell Szécsiย wasย named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Sept. 18. The UCLA Athletic Department also named Larsen the UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by Ready, for Sept. 11-17.ย UCLA went 2-0 last week and remain undefeated on the year at 9-0. The Bruins picked up two more lopsided wins over ranked teams in their first true road games of the season, defeating No. 7 Pacific, 20-12, and No. 11 UC Davis, 16-7. It marked the most goals against Pacific in program history and the largest margin of victory over UC Davis since 2015.
Larsen, an attacker out of Orinda, Calif., and Campolindo High School,ย led the Bruins in scoring with 13 points, which included nine goals on just 11 shots (.818) to go with four assists. He also drew two exclusions, had two steals, and won his only sprint in the two outings. Larsen opened the weekend with a career-high eight goals (on nine shots) against Pacific. The eight goals tied for the most-ever in theย Adam Wrightย era (15 years -- Nicolas Saveljic had eight goals against Stanford in 2021) and was just one shy of tying the MPSF all-time single-game record. He also tied for the team lead in scoring at UC Davis with four points, which included one score (on two shots) and a team-high three assists. He also recorded both of his steals, one drawn exclusion and won his only sprint against the Aggies.
Szécsi, a center out of Budapest, Hungary, and Kolping Katolikusย Iskola,ย scored multiple goals in both games, totaling five goals on five shots. He opened with a pair of scores in the win over the Tigers and drew one exclusion. In the win over the Aggies, he had his second hat trick of the year and drew five exclusions to go with one steal.
FREDERICO JUCÁย CARSALADE NAMED MPSF WEST/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
UCLA redshirt freshman attacker Frederico Jucá Carsaladeย (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Escola Nova) has been named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Sept. 11.ย Jucáย Carsalade helped lead UCLA to a 3-0 record last week and remain undefeated on the year at 7-0. The Bruins picked up two more wins over ranked teams, including opening MPSF play with an 11-9 win at home over No. 6 Stanford on Sept. 9. UCLA also defeated No. 12 UC San Diego, 14-7, and Cal Lutheran, 21-6, at the Inland Empire Classic on Sept. 10.ย After redshirting last season and missing the first weekend of this year due to injury, he finished tied for the team lead with two others in scoring over the three games with seven goals. He made a huge splash in his collegiate debut against the Cardinal, tallying two goals, two assists, two drawn exclusions, and one steal. Scored back-to-back goals in the third quarter with UCLA trailing by two to tie the game at 5-5. Then with UCLA trailing 8-6 in the fourth, he set up his teammates twice with back-to-back assists to tie the game. On the next possession, he registered a steal that led to a counter goal to give UCLA its first lead of the game at 9-8 with 3:18 remaining.ย He came up big against the Tritons as well when his team needed him. With the Bruins leading just 4-3 at halftime, he scored once, recorded three steals, and had one field block in the third period as UCLA would win the quarter, 7-3, en route to the lopsided victory. He finished with the first hat trick of his career against UCSD. He scored twice and added one steal and drew one exclusion in the win over Cal Lutheran.ย For the weekend, he had a team-high-tying seven goals (on just nine shots, shooting at a 77.8 percent clip), five steals, drew three exclusions, talliedย two assists, and registeredย two field blocks. It markedย Jucáย Carsalade's first career MPSF award..
BEN LIECHTY NAMED MPSF WEST/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
UCLA true freshman utilityย Ben Liechtyย (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) wasย named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Sept. 5. Liechty heped lead UCLA to a 4-0 record at the Triton Invitational, including two wins over Top 10 teams.ย He led the Bruins in scoring with 10 goals, netting multiple goals in all four contests.ย He had two goals in the win over No. 7 UC Santa Barbara and followed with a team-high three goals in the win over Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. Then on Sunday, he tallied two scores in the win over No. 10 UC Irvine and registered another hat trick against Concordia University Irvine. He also had one assist against the Gauchos, one assist and drew an exclusion against the Titans, one assist against the Anteaters, and one assist, one steal, one field block, and drew one exclusion against the Golden Eagles.ย For the weekend, he had 10 goals (on just 14 shots, shooting at a 71.4 percent clip), four assists, drew two exclusions, had one field block, and one steal. It marked Liechty's first career MPSF award.
UCLA PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN MPSF
The UCLA Bruins will enter the 2023 season as the third-ranked team in the CWPAย Men's Varsity Top 20ย Preseason Poll and has been picked to finish second (tie) in the MPSF.ย Back-to-back defending NCAA Champion California recorded 48 points and six first-place votes in the MPSF Men's Water Polo Coaches' poll, and was picked to win the 2023 MPSF's Western Division title.ย UCLA and USC picked up the remaining first-place votes and tied for second in the west with 39 points. Stanford collected 34 points to finish fourth in the poll. In the MPSF's Eastern Division, Austin College was voted first (22 points), followed by Augustana (20), Washington & Jefferson (13) and Penn State Behrend (nine).
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
The Bruins return just two 2022 All-Americans for the 2023 season in Bernardo Mauriziย (Second Team)ย and Gianpiero Di Martireย (Second Team). Maurizi, a three-time All-American, returns for his fifth season in the cage for the Bruins. Di Martire earned his first All-America honors after ranking second on the team in scoring with 43 goals last year.
RETURNING ALL-MPSF PLAYERS
The Bruins return four of a league-high eightย 2022 All-MPSF selections for the 2023 season. In addition toย Bernardo Mauriziย (First Team)ย and Gianpiero Di Martireย (Second Team), the Bruins regain the services of super senior attacker Jack Larsen (Second Team) and senior attacker Makoto Kenney (Honorable Mention).
SUPER SENIORS
Super senior goalkeeper Bernardo Mauriziย and super senior attacker Jack Larsenย have both decided to return to Westwood for a fifth and final season. The duo have been afforded the opportunity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
DODD OUT FOR 2023
Junior attacker Chase Dodd has decided to take an Olympic year and will not be in uniform for the Bruins during the 2023 campaign. He will continue to train with the U.S. National Team in hopes of being named to the 2024 Olympic Games roster.
UCLA 2023 OUTLOOK
UCLA returns three of its top six scorers and all three goalkeepers that saw action a year ago for the 2023 season. The Bruins made their 37th appearance in the NCAA Championship in 2022, finishing with a 22-5 record. Four of the five losses on the year were by just one goal.
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UCLA had a league-best eight players earn 2022 Delfina All-MPSF West accolades, highlighted by attacker Jake Cavano (45 goals, graduated), attacker Tommy Gruwell (31 goals, graduated), and senior goalkeeper Bernardo Maurizi (16-5, returning, using COVID year), who were all named first-team All-MPSF. Redshirt junior attacker Gianpiero Di Martire (43 goals, returning), junior attacker Chase Dodd (39 goals, taking an Olympic year), and senior attacker Jack Larsen (20 goals, returning), were all named to the second team. Utility Evan Rosenfeld (12 goals, graduated) and senior attacker Makoto Kenney (21 goals, returning) both garnered honorable mention plaudits. Cavano was the lone Bruin to earn first-team All-America honors while Maurizi, Di Martire, and Gruwell each earned second-team accolades. Dodd earned honorable mention All-America honors for the first time in his career.
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The Bruins also return some capable scorers in sophomore attacker Noah Rowe (17 goals), sophomore utility Gray Carson (16 goals), redshirt sophomore center Grant Loth (12 goals), redshirt sophomore Eli Liechty (12 goals in 2021), senior attacker Hayden Nightingale (10 goals), redshirt senior utility Giorgio Alessandria (10 goals), redshirt junior utility Maximo Rossi (7 goals), redshirt sophomore attacker Anthony Gross (3 goals), and redshirt sophomore attacker Trey Doten (3 goals).
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UCLA also welcomes back redshirt freshmen Vinnie Merk (Huntington Beach, Calif., Mater Dei HS) and Ben Larsen (Lafayette, Calif., Campolindo HS) who both sat out last season and traveled with UCLA as part of Team USA for the World University Games in China in late July and early August of 2023.
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The Bruins will look to replace Cavano, Gruwell, Rosenfeld, and for one season, Dodd, but also lost the services of Andy Rodgers, Cameron Reagan, Gabe Discipulo, Max Berg, and Jack White to graduation.
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Arriving in Westwood this season and looking to make an immediate impact are freshmen Ben Liechty (Newport Beach, Calif., Newport Harbor HS), Max Matthews (Tiburon, Calif., Redwood HS), Wade Sherlock (Long Beach, Calif., Orange Lutheran HS), Nathan Tauscher (Sunset Beach, Calif., Mater Dei HS), and Marcell Szécsi (Budapest, Hungary, Kolping Katolikus Iskola). UCLA also welcomes in one player from the transfer portal, two-time Golden Coast Conference Player of the Year, Rafael Real Vergara (Long Beach State, 192 goals in three seasons).
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A CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
The UCLA Bruins captured their 12th NCAA Championship in men's water polo with a 7-6 win at USCย on Mar. 21, 2021, at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The win also marked the 119th NCAA Championship for the UCLA Athletic Department. It was a balanced scoring effort by the Bruins, who received goals from six different players. Juniorย Jake Cavano, who was named to the 2020 First-Team All-NCAA Tournament,ย scored two goals, including the eventual difference maker with 6:23 left in the game. Sophomore goalkeeperย Bernardo Maurizi, who also was named First-Team All-NCAA Tournament, held the Trojans scoreless throughout the first half and racked up nine saves. UCLA never trailed in the game, though USC briefly pulled even at 4-4. Nicolas Saveljic was named the NCAA Tournament MVP.
THE WRIGHT STUFF
After guiding the Bruins to the NCAA Championship in 2020 and being named the ACWPC National Coach of the Year, Adam Wright returns for his 15th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2023 with an overall record of 335-63 (.842) and an MPSF mark of 64-24 (.727). His teams earned perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000 in 2014, 2015 and 2016 while winning the school's 112th, 113th and 114th NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Wright added the fourth NCAA Championship to his resume as a head coach in 2020 (Mar. 21, 2021) and a fourth perfect APR score in 2021. On July 20, 2017, then-UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wrightย will guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams. Wright was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame on June 20, 2019, and to the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. On March 22, 2022, UCLA Director of Athletics, Martin Jarmond, announced that Wright had signed a new six-year contract, starting in July of 2022, as the Head Coach for both of the Bruins' Men's and Women's Water Polo programs.ย
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RECAPPING 2022
Overall Record: 22-5 |ย Final Ranking: 3rd | NCAA Finish: T-3rd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 4th
The UCLA Bruins made their 37th appearance in the NCAA Championship in 2022, finishing with a 22-5 record. Four of the five losses on the year were by just one goal. UCLA had a league-best eight players earn 2022 Delfina All-MPSF West accolades, highlighted by super senior attacker Jake Cavano, senior attacker Tommy Gruwell, and senior goalkeeper Bernardo Maurizi, who were all named first-team All-MPSF. Redshirt sophomore attacker Gianpiero Di Martire, sophomore attacker Chase Dodd, and junior attacker Jack Larsen, were all named to the second team. Super senior utility Evan Rosenfeld and junior attacker Makoto Kenney both garnered honorable mention plaudits. Cavano was the lone Bruin to earn first-team All-America honors while Maurizi, Di Martire, and Gruwell each earned second-team accolades. Dodd earned honorable mention All-America honors for the first time in his career.
POLLING THE BRUINS
UCLA remained steady atย No. 1 in this week's CWPAย National Men's Varsity Top 20 Poll (100 points), released on Oct. 11.
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LOS ANGELES โ No. 1 UCLA (17-0, 3-0 MPSFย WEST) continuesย MPSFย action this week when it hosts No. 4 USCย (10-4, 0-3ย MPSFย WEST) in the 187th installment of the Crosstown Splashdown at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. The Bruins will take on the Trojans on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1:05 p.m.ย live on the Pac-12 Networks. UCLA will also provide live stats on the 6-8 Sports platform. Advance ticket sales for the game are sold out but a handful of walk-up tickets will be available. Following the battle with the Trojans, the annual Alumni Game will take place (approximately 3:00 p.m.).
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Saturday, Oct. 14 (MPSFย Gameย - Dirks Pool at Spiekerย Aquatics Center)
1:05 PMย PT โ No. 1 UCLA vs. No.ย 4ย USCย |ย LIVE STATSย |ย WATCH
3:00 PMย PT โ UCLA Alumni Game
SERIES HISTORY
UCLA is 95-90-1 all-time against the USC Trojans. The Bruins won the last meeting at the 2023 Overnght MPSF Invitational in the semifinals, 14-10, on Saturday, Sept. 23 at USC.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE TROJANS
Then second-rankedย UCLA (12-0) advanced to the finals of the 2023 Overnght MPSFย Invitational with a 14-10 win at No. 3 USCย (8-2) on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Uytengsuย Aquatics Center.ย The Bruins had seven players score in the contest, led by a season-high seven goals from seniorย Rafael Real Vergara. Vergara finished with nine total points as he also had two assists. Freshmanย Ben Liechtyย was the only other Bruin to reach double digits with two goals (also had one assist). Redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsaladeย scored two points (one goal and one assist) as did seniorย Jack Larsenย (one goal and one assist).ย Seniorย Garret Griggsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 12 saves while surrendering 10 goals.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
The UCLA Bruins currently have five sets of siblings on its men's and women's water polo rosters. On the men's side, brothers Jack Larsen and Ben Larsen, Ben Liechty, and Eli Liechty, and Chase Honaker, and Brett Honaker are three pairs of brothers on the 2023 roster. There are also two brother/sister duos as Trey Doten and Brooke Doten are joined byย Maximo Rossi and Genoa Rossi on the 2023-24 rosters between the two programs. Meanwhile, Bruins Gianpiero Di Martire and Chase Dodd (taking 2023 off to train for the Olympics) have siblings on the USC roster (Massimoย Di Martireย and Ryder Dodd, also taking the year off to train with the national team).
LARSEN LEADING
Redshirt senior attacker Jack Larsen has really stepped up this season, ranking second on the team (tied for 7th in the MPSF) with 27 goals on the year, already surpassing the most for him in any season. Seeking to become an All-America selection for the first time in his career, Larsen scored eight goals, one shy of the MPSF record, and tying for the most in theย Adam Wrightย era (Nicolas Saveljic also scored eight goals against Stanford on Feb. 7, 2021) in the 20-12 win at No. 7 Pacific earlier this season (Sept. 16). But its not just his offensive numbers that have improved. He's also second on the team in assists with a single-season high of 17 assists while ranking second on the squad and tied for third in the league in steals with 20 (also a single-season best as he had 18 entering the season). Additionally, he leads the team and the MPSF in field blocks with 10 (easily a season-best as he had 14 coming into the year).
GARRET GRIGGS TRENDING UP
Another Bruin senior looking for All-American accolades for the first time in his career is reigning MPSF Player of the Week, goalkeeper Garret Griggs. Griggs had double-digit save outings in both of the Top 5 road wins last week (at No. 2 California and No. 5 Stanford) to catapult himself to No. 1 in the MPSF in total saves with 124 on the year (9.7 saves per game).
RAFAEL REAL VERGARAย MAKING AN IMPACT
Senior attacker Rafael Real Vergaraย has made an impact early and often during the 2023 season. The three-time All-American transfer from Long Beach State leads the team in scoring with 41 goals, which is second in the MPSF. He has scored in 11 of the 13 games he has played (10 of them against ranked teams) and has scored multiple goals in every game that he has scored. That includes a season-high seven goals in the 14-10 win at USC in the semifinals of the 2023 Overnght MPSF Invitational. He also has 12 assists on the year to rank first on the team in scoring with 53 points (ranks fifth in the MPSF.
BRUINS SWEEP MPSF WEEKLY AWARDS, AGAIN
The UCLA Bruins swept the MPSF weekly honors as senior Garret Griggsย was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week and freshmanย Marcell Szécsiย wasย named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Oct. 9.ย UCLA went 2-0 last week and remain undefeated on the year at 17-0. The Bruins picked up two Top 5 road wins, defeating No. 2 California, 14-11, and No. 5 Stanford, 11-7. It marked the Bruins' second win over both programs this season.
Griggs, a goalkeeperย out of Riverside, Calif., and Riverside Poly High School,ย had double-digit save efforts in both games, registering 11 stops at Cal and just missed tying his career-high (15) with 14 saves on The Farm. He also had one steal against the Golden Bears and one steal and one assist vs. the Cardinal. Additionally, Griggs and the Bruin defense held Stanford to a season-low seven goals. This was Griggs' first career MPSF weekly award.
Szécsi, a center out of Budapest, Hungary, and Kolping Katolikusย Iskola,ย scored once in both games, totaling two goals on three shots. He opened with a goal and drew three exclusions in the win over the Golden Bears. In the win over the Cardinal, he had one goal, drew one exclusion, and had one steal. This wasย Szécsi'sย second career MPSF award.
RAFAEL REAL VERGARA NAMED UCLA STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Senior attackerย Rafael Real Vergaraย of the UCLA men's water polo team has been selected the UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by Ready, for Sept. 18-24.ย Real Vergara helped lead UCLA to a 4-0 record and MPSF Invitational victory last week to remain undefeated on the year at 13-0. The No. 2 Bruins picked up three top four wins en route to the title, defeating No. 4 Pepperdine, No. 3 USC and No. 1 California. Real Vergara led the tournament field in scoring with 16 goals in just three games while shooting at a .667 clip (16-for-24). He scored five goals and added a steal in the win over Pepperdine and had a season-high seven goals to go with two assists (nine points) and a steal in the win at USC. He finished the tournament with four goals and three assists (seven points) in the upset win of California, snapping the Golden Bears' 15-game winning streak, and snapping a seven-game losing streak to Cal in the process.ย This is Real Vergara's first UCLA student-athlete of the week award of the season and of his career.
RAFAEL REAL VERGARA NAMED MPSFย WEST/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The UCLA senior attackerย Rafael Real Vergaraย (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Modular) has been named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Sept. 25.ย Real Vergara helped lead UCLA to a 4-0 record this past week, winning the 2023 Overnght MPSF Invitational, to remain undefeated on the year at 13-0. The Bruins picked up three top four wins en route to the title, defeating No. 4 Pepperdine, 15-11, No. 3 USC, 14-10, and No. 1 California, 12-10. The Bruins also opened the tournament with a win over Occidental, 18-9, that Real Vergara did not play in as UCLA rested its starters.ย He led the tournament field in scoring with 16 goals in just three games while shooting at a .667 clip (16-for-24). He scored five goals and added a steal in the win over Pepperdine and had a season-high seven goals to go with two assists (nine points) and a steal in the win at USC. He finished the tournament with four goals and three assists (seven points) in the upset win of California, snapping the Golden Bears' 15-game winning streak, and snapping a seven-game losing streak to Cal in the process.ย This is Real Vergara'sย first career MPSF award.
BRUINS SWEEP MPSF WEEKLY AWARDS, JACK LARSEN NAMED UCLA STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
The UCLA Bruins swept the MPSF weekly honors as redshirt seniorย Jack Larsenย was named the MPSF/Delfina Player of the Week and freshmanย Marcell Szécsiย wasย named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Sept. 18. The UCLA Athletic Department also named Larsen the UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by Ready, for Sept. 11-17.ย UCLA went 2-0 last week and remain undefeated on the year at 9-0. The Bruins picked up two more lopsided wins over ranked teams in their first true road games of the season, defeating No. 7 Pacific, 20-12, and No. 11 UC Davis, 16-7. It marked the most goals against Pacific in program history and the largest margin of victory over UC Davis since 2015.
Larsen, an attacker out of Orinda, Calif., and Campolindo High School,ย led the Bruins in scoring with 13 points, which included nine goals on just 11 shots (.818) to go with four assists. He also drew two exclusions, had two steals, and won his only sprint in the two outings. Larsen opened the weekend with a career-high eight goals (on nine shots) against Pacific. The eight goals tied for the most-ever in theย Adam Wrightย era (15 years -- Nicolas Saveljic had eight goals against Stanford in 2021) and was just one shy of tying the MPSF all-time single-game record. He also tied for the team lead in scoring at UC Davis with four points, which included one score (on two shots) and a team-high three assists. He also recorded both of his steals, one drawn exclusion and won his only sprint against the Aggies.
Szécsi, a center out of Budapest, Hungary, and Kolping Katolikusย Iskola,ย scored multiple goals in both games, totaling five goals on five shots. He opened with a pair of scores in the win over the Tigers and drew one exclusion. In the win over the Aggies, he had his second hat trick of the year and drew five exclusions to go with one steal.
FREDERICO JUCÁย CARSALADE NAMED MPSF WEST/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
UCLA redshirt freshman attacker Frederico Jucá Carsaladeย (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/Escola Nova) has been named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Sept. 11.ย Jucáย Carsalade helped lead UCLA to a 3-0 record last week and remain undefeated on the year at 7-0. The Bruins picked up two more wins over ranked teams, including opening MPSF play with an 11-9 win at home over No. 6 Stanford on Sept. 9. UCLA also defeated No. 12 UC San Diego, 14-7, and Cal Lutheran, 21-6, at the Inland Empire Classic on Sept. 10.ย After redshirting last season and missing the first weekend of this year due to injury, he finished tied for the team lead with two others in scoring over the three games with seven goals. He made a huge splash in his collegiate debut against the Cardinal, tallying two goals, two assists, two drawn exclusions, and one steal. Scored back-to-back goals in the third quarter with UCLA trailing by two to tie the game at 5-5. Then with UCLA trailing 8-6 in the fourth, he set up his teammates twice with back-to-back assists to tie the game. On the next possession, he registered a steal that led to a counter goal to give UCLA its first lead of the game at 9-8 with 3:18 remaining.ย He came up big against the Tritons as well when his team needed him. With the Bruins leading just 4-3 at halftime, he scored once, recorded three steals, and had one field block in the third period as UCLA would win the quarter, 7-3, en route to the lopsided victory. He finished with the first hat trick of his career against UCSD. He scored twice and added one steal and drew one exclusion in the win over Cal Lutheran.ย For the weekend, he had a team-high-tying seven goals (on just nine shots, shooting at a 77.8 percent clip), five steals, drew three exclusions, talliedย two assists, and registeredย two field blocks. It markedย Jucáย Carsalade's first career MPSF award..
BEN LIECHTY NAMED MPSF WEST/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
UCLA true freshman utilityย Ben Liechtyย (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) wasย named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office on Sept. 5. Liechty heped lead UCLA to a 4-0 record at the Triton Invitational, including two wins over Top 10 teams.ย He led the Bruins in scoring with 10 goals, netting multiple goals in all four contests.ย He had two goals in the win over No. 7 UC Santa Barbara and followed with a team-high three goals in the win over Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. Then on Sunday, he tallied two scores in the win over No. 10 UC Irvine and registered another hat trick against Concordia University Irvine. He also had one assist against the Gauchos, one assist and drew an exclusion against the Titans, one assist against the Anteaters, and one assist, one steal, one field block, and drew one exclusion against the Golden Eagles.ย For the weekend, he had 10 goals (on just 14 shots, shooting at a 71.4 percent clip), four assists, drew two exclusions, had one field block, and one steal. It marked Liechty's first career MPSF award.
UCLA PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN MPSF
The UCLA Bruins will enter the 2023 season as the third-ranked team in the CWPAย Men's Varsity Top 20ย Preseason Poll and has been picked to finish second (tie) in the MPSF.ย Back-to-back defending NCAA Champion California recorded 48 points and six first-place votes in the MPSF Men's Water Polo Coaches' poll, and was picked to win the 2023 MPSF's Western Division title.ย UCLA and USC picked up the remaining first-place votes and tied for second in the west with 39 points. Stanford collected 34 points to finish fourth in the poll. In the MPSF's Eastern Division, Austin College was voted first (22 points), followed by Augustana (20), Washington & Jefferson (13) and Penn State Behrend (nine).
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
The Bruins return just two 2022 All-Americans for the 2023 season in Bernardo Mauriziย (Second Team)ย and Gianpiero Di Martireย (Second Team). Maurizi, a three-time All-American, returns for his fifth season in the cage for the Bruins. Di Martire earned his first All-America honors after ranking second on the team in scoring with 43 goals last year.
RETURNING ALL-MPSF PLAYERS
The Bruins return four of a league-high eightย 2022 All-MPSF selections for the 2023 season. In addition toย Bernardo Mauriziย (First Team)ย and Gianpiero Di Martireย (Second Team), the Bruins regain the services of super senior attacker Jack Larsen (Second Team) and senior attacker Makoto Kenney (Honorable Mention).
SUPER SENIORS
Super senior goalkeeper Bernardo Mauriziย and super senior attacker Jack Larsenย have both decided to return to Westwood for a fifth and final season. The duo have been afforded the opportunity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
DODD OUT FOR 2023
Junior attacker Chase Dodd has decided to take an Olympic year and will not be in uniform for the Bruins during the 2023 campaign. He will continue to train with the U.S. National Team in hopes of being named to the 2024 Olympic Games roster.
UCLA 2023 OUTLOOK
UCLA returns three of its top six scorers and all three goalkeepers that saw action a year ago for the 2023 season. The Bruins made their 37th appearance in the NCAA Championship in 2022, finishing with a 22-5 record. Four of the five losses on the year were by just one goal.
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UCLA had a league-best eight players earn 2022 Delfina All-MPSF West accolades, highlighted by attacker Jake Cavano (45 goals, graduated), attacker Tommy Gruwell (31 goals, graduated), and senior goalkeeper Bernardo Maurizi (16-5, returning, using COVID year), who were all named first-team All-MPSF. Redshirt junior attacker Gianpiero Di Martire (43 goals, returning), junior attacker Chase Dodd (39 goals, taking an Olympic year), and senior attacker Jack Larsen (20 goals, returning), were all named to the second team. Utility Evan Rosenfeld (12 goals, graduated) and senior attacker Makoto Kenney (21 goals, returning) both garnered honorable mention plaudits. Cavano was the lone Bruin to earn first-team All-America honors while Maurizi, Di Martire, and Gruwell each earned second-team accolades. Dodd earned honorable mention All-America honors for the first time in his career.
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The Bruins also return some capable scorers in sophomore attacker Noah Rowe (17 goals), sophomore utility Gray Carson (16 goals), redshirt sophomore center Grant Loth (12 goals), redshirt sophomore Eli Liechty (12 goals in 2021), senior attacker Hayden Nightingale (10 goals), redshirt senior utility Giorgio Alessandria (10 goals), redshirt junior utility Maximo Rossi (7 goals), redshirt sophomore attacker Anthony Gross (3 goals), and redshirt sophomore attacker Trey Doten (3 goals).
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UCLA also welcomes back redshirt freshmen Vinnie Merk (Huntington Beach, Calif., Mater Dei HS) and Ben Larsen (Lafayette, Calif., Campolindo HS) who both sat out last season and traveled with UCLA as part of Team USA for the World University Games in China in late July and early August of 2023.
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The Bruins will look to replace Cavano, Gruwell, Rosenfeld, and for one season, Dodd, but also lost the services of Andy Rodgers, Cameron Reagan, Gabe Discipulo, Max Berg, and Jack White to graduation.
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Arriving in Westwood this season and looking to make an immediate impact are freshmen Ben Liechty (Newport Beach, Calif., Newport Harbor HS), Max Matthews (Tiburon, Calif., Redwood HS), Wade Sherlock (Long Beach, Calif., Orange Lutheran HS), Nathan Tauscher (Sunset Beach, Calif., Mater Dei HS), and Marcell Szécsi (Budapest, Hungary, Kolping Katolikus Iskola). UCLA also welcomes in one player from the transfer portal, two-time Golden Coast Conference Player of the Year, Rafael Real Vergara (Long Beach State, 192 goals in three seasons).
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A CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
The UCLA Bruins captured their 12th NCAA Championship in men's water polo with a 7-6 win at USCย on Mar. 21, 2021, at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The win also marked the 119th NCAA Championship for the UCLA Athletic Department. It was a balanced scoring effort by the Bruins, who received goals from six different players. Juniorย Jake Cavano, who was named to the 2020 First-Team All-NCAA Tournament,ย scored two goals, including the eventual difference maker with 6:23 left in the game. Sophomore goalkeeperย Bernardo Maurizi, who also was named First-Team All-NCAA Tournament, held the Trojans scoreless throughout the first half and racked up nine saves. UCLA never trailed in the game, though USC briefly pulled even at 4-4. Nicolas Saveljic was named the NCAA Tournament MVP.
THE WRIGHT STUFF
After guiding the Bruins to the NCAA Championship in 2020 and being named the ACWPC National Coach of the Year, Adam Wright returns for his 15th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2023 with an overall record of 335-63 (.842) and an MPSF mark of 64-24 (.727). His teams earned perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000 in 2014, 2015 and 2016 while winning the school's 112th, 113th and 114th NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Wright added the fourth NCAA Championship to his resume as a head coach in 2020 (Mar. 21, 2021) and a fourth perfect APR score in 2021. On July 20, 2017, then-UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wrightย will guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams. Wright was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame on June 20, 2019, and to the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. On March 22, 2022, UCLA Director of Athletics, Martin Jarmond, announced that Wright had signed a new six-year contract, starting in July of 2022, as the Head Coach for both of the Bruins' Men's and Women's Water Polo programs.ย
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RECAPPING 2022
Overall Record: 22-5 |ย Final Ranking: 3rd | NCAA Finish: T-3rd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 4th
The UCLA Bruins made their 37th appearance in the NCAA Championship in 2022, finishing with a 22-5 record. Four of the five losses on the year were by just one goal. UCLA had a league-best eight players earn 2022 Delfina All-MPSF West accolades, highlighted by super senior attacker Jake Cavano, senior attacker Tommy Gruwell, and senior goalkeeper Bernardo Maurizi, who were all named first-team All-MPSF. Redshirt sophomore attacker Gianpiero Di Martire, sophomore attacker Chase Dodd, and junior attacker Jack Larsen, were all named to the second team. Super senior utility Evan Rosenfeld and junior attacker Makoto Kenney both garnered honorable mention plaudits. Cavano was the lone Bruin to earn first-team All-America honors while Maurizi, Di Martire, and Gruwell each earned second-team accolades. Dodd earned honorable mention All-America honors for the first time in his career.
POLLING THE BRUINS
UCLA remained steady atย No. 1 in this week's CWPAย National Men's Varsity Top 20 Poll (100 points), released on Oct. 11.
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ย 2023 MEN'S VARSITY TOP 20 (WEEK 6ย - OCTOBER 11) |
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| ย Rank | ย Team | ย Week 5 Poll | ย Points |
| ย 1 | ย UCLA | ย 1 | ย 100 |
| ย 2 | ย California | ย 2 | ย 95 |
| ย 3 | ย Stanford | ย 5 | ย 90 |
| ย 4 | ย USC | ย 3ย (T) | ย 86 |
| ย 5 | ย Pepperdine | ย 3ย (T) | ย 79 |
| ย 6 | ย Princeton | ย 6 | ย 71 |
| ย 7 | ย UC Davis | ย 7 | ย 70 |
| ย 8 | ย Long Beach State | ย 9 | ย 69 |
| ย 9 | ย UC Irvine | ย 8 | ย 61 |
| ย 10 | ย UC Santa Barbara | ย 12 | ย 52 |
| ย 11 (T) | ย UC San Diego | ย 11 | ย 50 |
| ย 11 (T) | ย Loyola Marymount | ย 10 | ย 50 |
| ย 13 | ย San Jose State | ย 14 | ย 36 |
| ย 14 | ย Pacific | ย 13 | ย 33 |
| ย 15 | ย California Baptist University | ย 15 | ย 29 |
| ย 16 | ย Santa Clara | ย 16 | ย 24 |
| ย 17 | ย Fordham | ย 17 (T) | ย 23 |
| ย 18 | ย Harvard | ย 19 (T) | ย 17 |
| ย 19 | ย Navy | ย 19 (T) | ย 11 |
| ย 20 | ย Brown | ย 17 (T) | ย 8 |
| ย RV | ย Bucknell | ย RV | ย 1 |
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Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Water PoloUCLA Men's Water Polo Ring Reveal
Wednesday, August 27
2024 UCLA Men's Water Polo NCAA Champions
Thursday, December 12
Highlights - UCLA M. Water Polo Celebrates NCAA Title
Sunday, December 08
Highlights - UCLA M. Water Polo vs. USC, NCAA Championship (Dec. 8, 2024)
Sunday, December 08