Wednesday, October 18
Los Angeles, CA
6:00 PM
UCLA
19-0
12
vs
10
Princeton
18-3
1
2
3
4
OT
OT
F
Princeton (M)
4
3
1
2
0
0
10
UCLA (M)
5
2
2
3
0
0
12
The Bruins had seven players score in the contest, led by hat tricks from senior Makoto Kenney (pictured) and redshirt freshman Ben Larsen.
Photo by: Hritika Chaturvedi
No. 1 UCLA Holds Off No. 6 Princeton, 12-10
October 18, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELES -- No. 1 UCLA (19-0) held off the sixth-ranked Princeton Tigers (18-3), 12-10, on Wednesday night at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. UCLA improved to 18-0 all-time in the series history. The 19 consecutive wins on the season for the Bruins tie for the fifth-longest winning streak in school history and puts UCLA out to its best start since opening the 2016 at 24-0.
The Bruins had seven players score in the contest, led by hat tricks from senior Makoto Kenney and redshirt freshman Ben Larsen. Freshman Ben Liechty was the Bruins other multi-goal scorer with two against the Tigers.
Senior Garret Griggs got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying seven saves and three steals while surrendering 10 goals.
UCLA won the first quarter, 5-4. Princeton got out to an early 2-0 lead (7:30 and 6:30). But the Bruins tied the game at 2-2 with back-to-back goals from Ben Larsen. The first was on a power play (6:08) that was assisted by freshman Wade Sherlock and the second was off a nice feed from senior Rafael Real Vergara (5:12) at even strength. Sherlock would give the Bruins their first lead (4:26) with a strike from the front court off a feed from Ben Larsen. Sophomore Gray Carson continued the four-goal streak with a score from two meters (3:16) off a pass from senior Giorgio Alessandria to make it 4-2. The Tigers would respond with back-to-back goals (2:50 and 1:15) to tie it at 4-4. But Alessandria would hit Ben Larsen for a score on a counter just before the buzzer (0:01) to end the scoring in the first period.
The Tigers won the second quarter, 3-2, to tie the game up 7-7 heading into the break. Kenney opened the scoring (7:12) to put the Bruins up 6-4. After the Tigers scored a power play goal (6:37), redshirt sophomore Eli Liechty answered with a power play goal (6:06) to make it 7-5 Bruins. The Tigers would score another power play goal at the 4:46 mark and then get the equalizer at the buzzer.
The Bruins won the third quarter, 2-1, to reclaim the lead, 9-8, heading into the final stanza. Kenney finally broke the tie in the third with a counter score (2:27) to put the Bruins back in front, 8-7. Freshman Ben Liechty then made it 9-7 with a power play goal (1:36) off an assist from Rafael Real Vergara. Princeton ended the scoring in the third with a power play goal (0:11) to close the gap to 9-8.
UCLA won the fourth quarter, 3-2, to provide the 12-10 final. After the Tigers opened the scoring in the fourth (6:51) to tie the game, Ben Liechty scored his second (4:57) to put the Bruins back in front, 10-9. Then Kenney scored from the front court to complete his hat trick (3:03) to extend the lead to 11-9. After another power play goal by the Tigers (2:28), Real Vergara got on the board with a power play strike (1:43) to push the lead back to two goals at 12-10 to end the scoring.
UP NEXT: The Bruins continue their five-game homestand with No. 10 UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Oct. 20 at 11:00 a.m. PT at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. Admission is free.
No. 6 Princeton at No. 1 UCLA (Non-Conference Contest - Game 19)
6x5 - UCLA - 4/9 - PRIN - 5/10
Penalties - UCLA - 0/0 - PRIN - 0/0
PRIN Goals: Vladan Mitrovic 4, Finn LeSleur 2, Pierce Maloney 2, Roko Pozaric 2
PRIN Saves: Kristóf Kovács 10
UCLA Goals: Ben Larsen 3, Makoto Kenney 3, Ben Liechty 2, Eli Liechty 1, Rafael Real Vergara 1, Gray Carson 1, Wade Sherlock 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 7
LOS ANGELES -- No. 1 UCLA (19-0) held off the sixth-ranked Princeton Tigers (18-3), 12-10, on Wednesday night at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. UCLA improved to 18-0 all-time in the series history. The 19 consecutive wins on the season for the Bruins tie for the fifth-longest winning streak in school history and puts UCLA out to its best start since opening the 2016 at 24-0.
The Bruins had seven players score in the contest, led by hat tricks from senior Makoto Kenney and redshirt freshman Ben Larsen. Freshman Ben Liechty was the Bruins other multi-goal scorer with two against the Tigers.
Senior Garret Griggs got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying seven saves and three steals while surrendering 10 goals.
UCLA won the first quarter, 5-4. Princeton got out to an early 2-0 lead (7:30 and 6:30). But the Bruins tied the game at 2-2 with back-to-back goals from Ben Larsen. The first was on a power play (6:08) that was assisted by freshman Wade Sherlock and the second was off a nice feed from senior Rafael Real Vergara (5:12) at even strength. Sherlock would give the Bruins their first lead (4:26) with a strike from the front court off a feed from Ben Larsen. Sophomore Gray Carson continued the four-goal streak with a score from two meters (3:16) off a pass from senior Giorgio Alessandria to make it 4-2. The Tigers would respond with back-to-back goals (2:50 and 1:15) to tie it at 4-4. But Alessandria would hit Ben Larsen for a score on a counter just before the buzzer (0:01) to end the scoring in the first period.
The Tigers won the second quarter, 3-2, to tie the game up 7-7 heading into the break. Kenney opened the scoring (7:12) to put the Bruins up 6-4. After the Tigers scored a power play goal (6:37), redshirt sophomore Eli Liechty answered with a power play goal (6:06) to make it 7-5 Bruins. The Tigers would score another power play goal at the 4:46 mark and then get the equalizer at the buzzer.
The Bruins won the third quarter, 2-1, to reclaim the lead, 9-8, heading into the final stanza. Kenney finally broke the tie in the third with a counter score (2:27) to put the Bruins back in front, 8-7. Freshman Ben Liechty then made it 9-7 with a power play goal (1:36) off an assist from Rafael Real Vergara. Princeton ended the scoring in the third with a power play goal (0:11) to close the gap to 9-8.
UCLA won the fourth quarter, 3-2, to provide the 12-10 final. After the Tigers opened the scoring in the fourth (6:51) to tie the game, Ben Liechty scored his second (4:57) to put the Bruins back in front, 10-9. Then Kenney scored from the front court to complete his hat trick (3:03) to extend the lead to 11-9. After another power play goal by the Tigers (2:28), Real Vergara got on the board with a power play strike (1:43) to push the lead back to two goals at 12-10 to end the scoring.
UP NEXT: The Bruins continue their five-game homestand with No. 10 UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Oct. 20 at 11:00 a.m. PT at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. Admission is free.
No. 6 Princeton at No. 1 UCLA (Non-Conference Contest - Game 19)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 6 Princeton | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
Penalties - UCLA - 0/0 - PRIN - 0/0
PRIN Goals: Vladan Mitrovic 4, Finn LeSleur 2, Pierce Maloney 2, Roko Pozaric 2
PRIN Saves: Kristóf Kovács 10
UCLA Goals: Ben Larsen 3, Makoto Kenney 3, Ben Liechty 2, Eli Liechty 1, Rafael Real Vergara 1, Gray Carson 1, Wade Sherlock 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 7
Team Stats
PRI
UCL
Shots
28
29
Goals
10
12
Assists
8
10
Points
18
22
Exclusions
9
10
Steals
3
5
Sprints
4
0
1
Roko Pozaric
07:30
Vladan Mitrovic
06:30
Ben Larsen
06:08
Ben Larsen
05:12
Wade Sherlock
04:26
Gray Carson
03:16
Finn Lesieur
02:50
Pierce Maloney
01:15
Ben Larsen
00:01
2
Makoto Kenney
07:12
Finn Lesieur
06:37
Eli Liechty
06:06
Pierce Maloney
04:46
Roko Pozaric
00:01
3
Makoto Kenney
02:27
Ben Liechty
01:36
Vladan Mitrovic
00:11
4
Vladan Mitrovic
06:51
Ben Liechty
04:57
Makoto Kenney
03:03
Vladan Mitrovic
02:28
Rafael Real Vergara
01:44
Game Leaders
Shots
7
Goals
3
Assists
1
Points
4
Shots
7
Goals
2
Assists
1
Points
3
Shots
4
Goals
1
Assists
2
Points
3
Shots
3
Goals
3
Assists
1
Points
4
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
GK
/ Men's Water PoloATK
/ Men's Water PoloUTL
/ Men's Water PoloUTL
/ Men's Water Polo
CTR
/ Men's Water PoloATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
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