UCLA
20-0
UC Santa Barbara
14-11
No. 1 UCLA Cruises Past No. 10 UC Santa Barbara, 15-9
October 20, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELES -- The top-ranked Bruins (20-0) maintained their dominance over No. 10 UC Santa Barbara (14-11), with a 15-9 win on Friday afternoon at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. It marked the 17th-consecutive win over the Gauchos as the Bruins improved to 111-17-1 in the series history.A total of 10 different Bruins scored in the game, paced by three goals from senior Rafael Real Vergara and senior Makoto Kenney. Kenney led the team in scoring with five total points (two assists). Senior Jack Larsen was the only other multi-goal scorer with two scores against UCSB.
Senior Garret Griggs got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 12 saves and two steals while allowing nine goals.
UCLA outscored UCSB 4-1 in the first quarter. Redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsalade opened the scoring when he converted a penalty shot that was drawn by freshman Marcell Szécsi (7:46). Then senior Jack Larsen put the Bruins up 2-0 (6:59) with a strike from the front court off a feed from senior Giorgio Alessandria. After a score by the Gauchos, freshman Wade Sherlock extended the lead to 3-1 with a nearside skip shot (4:06). Sophomore Gray Carson ended the scoring with a goal off a pass from Alessandria (3:27).
The Bruins won the second period, 4-3, to make it 8-4 at the break. Kenney opened the scoring with a nearside skipper off a feed from sophomore Noah Rowe (6:18) to put the Bruins up 5-2. Freshman Ben Liechty took a feed from Alessandria to score on a cross-cage strike (5:05) to push the lead to 6-2. After a goal by UCSB, Alessandria then scored off a feed from redshirt freshman Ben Larsen (3:54) to make it 7-3. Senior Hayden Nightingale scored his first of the game off a pass from redshirt sophomore Mark Laurlund (1:48) to extend the lead to 8-3. UCSB scored the final goal of the quarter.
The Bruins would win the third period, 4-3, to build a 12-7 lead heading into the fourth. UCSB opened the scoring in the third, but the Bruins responded with a counter goal from Real Vergara (3:40) to put the Bruins up 9-5. Real Vergara would score three consecutive goals (2:58 and 1:49) in the period to complete his 11th hat trick of the season. His third put the Bruins up 11-7. Jack Larsen scored the final goal of the period (0:43) off an assist from Jucá Carsalade.
The Bruins would win every quarter, posting a 3-2 spot in the fourth quarter, to provide the 15-9 final. Ben Larsen scored his first of the game (6:30) off a feed from Jucá Carsalade to make it 13-7. After a goal by the Gauchos, Kenney scored his second of the game on a counter (3:06) to put UCLA up 14-8. After another goal for the Gauchos, Kenney returned the favor (0:34), completing his hat trick to end the scoring on a man advantage.
UP NEXT: The Bruins will continue its five-game homestand with No. 2 California on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 1:00 p.m. PT at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.
No. 10 UC Santa Barbara at No. 1 UCLA (Non-Conference Game - Game 20)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 10 UCSB | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 15 |
6x5 - UCLA - 3/7 - UCSB - 2/5
Penalties - UCLA - 1/1 - UCSB - 2/2
UCSB Goals: Dash McFarland 3, Finn Genc 2, Ryan McManigal 1, Logan Sutter 1, Brock Zamanian 1, Adam Gyenis 1
UCSB Saves: Levi Lentin 5
UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 3, Makoto Kenney 3, Jack Larsen 2, Frederico Jucá Carsalade 1, Ben Larsen 1, Gray Carson 1, Wade Sherlock 1, Ben Liechty 1, Hayden Nightingale 1, Giorgio Alessandria 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 12
Team Stats
Frederico Jucá Carsalade
07:45
Jack Larsen
06:59
Ryan Mcmanigal
06:36
Wade Sherlock
04:06
Gray Carson
03:27
Dash Mcfarland
07:18
Makoto Kenney
06:18
Ben Liechty
05:05
Dash Mcfarland
04:53
Giorgio Alessandria
03:54
Hayden Nightingale
01:48
Logan Sutter
00:49
Finn Genc
06:43
Rafael Real Vergara
03:40
Dash Mcfarland
03:28
Rafael Real Vergara
02:58
Adam Gyenis
01:45
Rafael Real Vergara
01:29
Jack Larsen
00:43
Ben Larsen
06:30
Finn Genc
03:45
Makoto Kenney
03:06
Brock Zamanian
02:17
Makoto Kenney
00:34
