Saturday, October 28
Los Angeles, CA
1:00 PM
UCLA
13
vs
9
California
Freshman Ben Liechty scored the fourth hat trick of the season today in the win over California.
Photo by: Marie Goldfarb
No. 1 UCLA Rallies to a Third Win over No. 2 California, 13-9
October 28, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELES --ย No. 1 UCLA (21-0, 5-0 MPSF West) completed a three-game regular season sweep over two-time NCAA defending Champion, No. 2 California (17-4, 2-3 MPSFย West), 13-9, on Saturday afternoon at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.ย UCLA improved to 93-76-1ย all-time in the series history against the Golden Bears. The Bruins also ran their winning streak to 21, which is tied for the fourth-highest in school history (1971-72).
The Bruins had eight players score in the contest, led by hat tricks from senior Rafael Real Vergaraย and freshman Ben Liechty. Redshirt freshman Ben Larsen and senior Giorgio Alessandria each added two scores. Alessandria added three assists to finish as the game's leading scorer with five points. Vergara increased his scoring total to 11 goals and six assists (17 points) in the three wins over California this year.
Senior Garret Griggsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 13 saves while allowing nineย goals.
California scored the first two goals of the game (6:55 and 6:26), but the Bruins would ultimately win the first period, 4-3. Ben Larsen got the Bruins on the board with a power play goal (6:10) off a feed from senior Makoto Kenney. After another goal by Cal (4:40), Liechty scored his first of the game on a power play (4:16) off a feed from redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsaladeย to trim the deficit to 3-2. Sophomore Gray Carson would get the equalizer from the front court (3:38). Freshman Marcell Szécsi would put the Bruins in front (0:31) for the first time with a powerful score from two meters off a feed from Alessandria.
UCLA won the second quarter, 3-2, to take a 7-5 lead into the break. Jucá Carsalade opened the scoring in the second with a power play goal (6:08) off a pass from Jack Larsen to make it 5-3. California would score back-to-back goals (5:24 and 5:20). Real Vergara would score his first on a power play off an assist from sophomore Noah Rowe (4:37) to put the Bruins back in front at 6-5. UCLA would tack on another goal when Ben Liechty netted his second of the game on a power play (2:18) off a feed from Alessandria to end the scoring in the period.
The Bruins and the Golden Bears would battle to a 2-2 draw as UCLA would take a 9-7 lead heading into the final stanza. California would score first in the third quarter (5:47), but Real Vergara scored his second from the front court (4:03) with Jack Larsen getting another assist to make it a two-goal game again. Then Alessandria took a feed from Real Vergara and found the back of the net for his first score to push the lead to 9-6 (2:17). California ended the scoring in the third (2:01) to trim the Bruins' lead to 9-7.
UCLA dominated the fourth quarter, 4-2, to provide the 13-9 final. Cal opened the scoring in the final stanza with a power play goal (6:06), but Ben Liechty answered with his third goal (5:33) on a power play to make it 10-8. Real Vergara would then complete his hat trick (4:18) on a power play off a feed from Jucá Carsaladeย to extend the lead to 11-8. After one final goal from Cal (3:54) that made it 11-9 Bruins, Ben Larsen netted his second of the contest on a 6-on-5 and an assist from Alessandria. Then with the Bruins looking to put the game away and run out the clock, California pulled its goalie to try and force a steal and Alessandria had just one man to beat in front of him to score (0:54) on an open goal from 10 meters out to end the scoring.
UP NEXT: The Bruins will host No. 9 UC Irvineย on "Senior Day" on Friday, Nov. 3 at 5:00 p.m. at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.
No. 2 California atย No. 1 UCLA (MPSF Contestย - Game 21)
6x5 -ย UCLA - 4/13 - CAL - 0/5
Penalties -ย UCLA - 0/0 - CAL - 0/0
CAL Goals:ย Jake Howerton 4, Nikolaos Papanikolaouย 1, Roberto Valera 1, Albert Ponferrada 1, Marton Szatmaryย 1, Jake Stone 1
CAL Saves:ย Will Kieckhafer 3, Kai Seed 1
UCLA Goals:ย Rafael Real Vergara 3, Ben Liechty 3, Ben Larsen 2, Giorgio Alessandria 2, Frederico Jucé Carsalade 1, Marcell Szécsiย 1, Gray Carson 1
UCLA Saves:ย Garret Griggs 13
ย
LOS ANGELES --ย No. 1 UCLA (21-0, 5-0 MPSF West) completed a three-game regular season sweep over two-time NCAA defending Champion, No. 2 California (17-4, 2-3 MPSFย West), 13-9, on Saturday afternoon at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.ย UCLA improved to 93-76-1ย all-time in the series history against the Golden Bears. The Bruins also ran their winning streak to 21, which is tied for the fourth-highest in school history (1971-72).
The Bruins had eight players score in the contest, led by hat tricks from senior Rafael Real Vergaraย and freshman Ben Liechty. Redshirt freshman Ben Larsen and senior Giorgio Alessandria each added two scores. Alessandria added three assists to finish as the game's leading scorer with five points. Vergara increased his scoring total to 11 goals and six assists (17 points) in the three wins over California this year.
Senior Garret Griggsย got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 13 saves while allowing nineย goals.
California scored the first two goals of the game (6:55 and 6:26), but the Bruins would ultimately win the first period, 4-3. Ben Larsen got the Bruins on the board with a power play goal (6:10) off a feed from senior Makoto Kenney. After another goal by Cal (4:40), Liechty scored his first of the game on a power play (4:16) off a feed from redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsaladeย to trim the deficit to 3-2. Sophomore Gray Carson would get the equalizer from the front court (3:38). Freshman Marcell Szécsi would put the Bruins in front (0:31) for the first time with a powerful score from two meters off a feed from Alessandria.
UCLA won the second quarter, 3-2, to take a 7-5 lead into the break. Jucá Carsalade opened the scoring in the second with a power play goal (6:08) off a pass from Jack Larsen to make it 5-3. California would score back-to-back goals (5:24 and 5:20). Real Vergara would score his first on a power play off an assist from sophomore Noah Rowe (4:37) to put the Bruins back in front at 6-5. UCLA would tack on another goal when Ben Liechty netted his second of the game on a power play (2:18) off a feed from Alessandria to end the scoring in the period.
The Bruins and the Golden Bears would battle to a 2-2 draw as UCLA would take a 9-7 lead heading into the final stanza. California would score first in the third quarter (5:47), but Real Vergara scored his second from the front court (4:03) with Jack Larsen getting another assist to make it a two-goal game again. Then Alessandria took a feed from Real Vergara and found the back of the net for his first score to push the lead to 9-6 (2:17). California ended the scoring in the third (2:01) to trim the Bruins' lead to 9-7.
UCLA dominated the fourth quarter, 4-2, to provide the 13-9 final. Cal opened the scoring in the final stanza with a power play goal (6:06), but Ben Liechty answered with his third goal (5:33) on a power play to make it 10-8. Real Vergara would then complete his hat trick (4:18) on a power play off a feed from Jucá Carsaladeย to extend the lead to 11-8. After one final goal from Cal (3:54) that made it 11-9 Bruins, Ben Larsen netted his second of the contest on a 6-on-5 and an assist from Alessandria. Then with the Bruins looking to put the game away and run out the clock, California pulled its goalie to try and force a steal and Alessandria had just one man to beat in front of him to score (0:54) on an open goal from 10 meters out to end the scoring.
UP NEXT: The Bruins will host No. 9 UC Irvineย on "Senior Day" on Friday, Nov. 3 at 5:00 p.m. at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.
No. 2 California atย No. 1 UCLA (MPSF Contestย - Game 21)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 2 California | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
Penalties -ย UCLA - 0/0 - CAL - 0/0
CAL Goals:ย Jake Howerton 4, Nikolaos Papanikolaouย 1, Roberto Valera 1, Albert Ponferrada 1, Marton Szatmaryย 1, Jake Stone 1
CAL Saves:ย Will Kieckhafer 3, Kai Seed 1
UCLA Goals:ย Rafael Real Vergara 3, Ben Liechty 3, Ben Larsen 2, Giorgio Alessandria 2, Frederico Jucé Carsalade 1, Marcell Szécsiย 1, Gray Carson 1
UCLA Saves:ย Garret Griggs 13
ย
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
GK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
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