
Redshirt sophomore Grant Loth scored a career-high six goals in the win over the Presidents.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
No. 1 UCLA Advances to MPSF Semifinals with Dominant Win
November 17, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
BERKELEY, Calif. -- No. 1 UCLA (24-0) scored the first nine goals of the game and cruised to a 25-4 victory over eighth-seeded Washington & Jefferson (6-16) in the quarterfinals of the 2023 MPSF Championship on Friday morning at California's Spieker Aquatics Complex. The Bruins improved to 2-0 all-time against the Presidents.
The Bruins had a season-high 14 players score in the contest, led by a career-high six goals from redshirt sophomore Grant Loth. Freshmen Ben Liechty and Wade Sherlock each scored a hat trick while redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsalade added two scores.
Senior Bernardo Maurizi got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying a season-high 17 saves and three assists while surrendering four goals.
The Bruins won the first period, 6-0. Jucá Carsalade opened the scoring (7:41) and senior Jack Larsen scored on a counter (5:42) to put the Bruins up 2-0. Senior Rafael Real Vergara scored a power play goal (5:05) and then sophomore Noah Rowe scored on a strike from the front court (3:41) to make it 4-0. Ben Liechty netted his first on a counter (2:15) and Loth scored his first from two meters (1:37) to end the scoring in the first period.
The Bruins won the second period, 6-3, to take a 12-3 lead into the break. Redshirt freshman Ben Larsen opened the scoring in the second period (7:46) with a goal from the front court to put UCLA up 7-0. Ben Liechty followed with his second score on a counter (6:47) and Jucá Carsalade added another counter goal (5:13) to push the lead to 9-0. After a goal by the Presidents (4:50), Loth scored his second from two meters (4:30) to make it 10-1. Another goal by W&J (4:12) was answered by a third goal from Loth at set (2:25) to put the Bruins up 11-2. The Presidents scored a third goal in the period (0:51) that was immediately answered by redshirt freshman Vinnie Merk's first score of the game (0:35) to end the scoring in the second quarter with UCLA up 12-3.
UCLA won the third period, 7-1, to build a 19-4 lead heading into the final stanza. Ben Liechty completed his hat trick on a third counter goal (7:07) and then freshman Marcell Szácsi netted his first (5:20) to put UCLA up 14-3. Sherlock then scored back-to-back goals (3:52 and 2:52) to push the lead to 16-3. After a score from the Presidents (2:33), the Bruins scored three to end the quarter. Redshirt junior Maximo Rossi scored (2:06) his first, Loth knotched his fourth (1:29) and senior Hayden Nightingale scored his first (0:29) to make it 19-4.
The Bruins won the fourth quarter, 6-0, to provide the 25-4 final. Senior Giorgio Alessandria scored his first of the game to open the scoring in the fourth (7:32). Redshirt sophomore Eli Liechty scored his first goal (5:10) to push the lead to 21-4. Sherlock then completed his hat trick (2:47) to make it 22-4. Loth then scored his fifth and sixth goals of the game (2:05 and 1:21) to extend the lead to 24-4. UCLA ended the game the way it began, on a 9-0 scoring run, after Rossi netted his second of the game (0:28) to end the scoring.
UP NEXT: The Bruins now face No. 3 USC in the first semifinal of the 2023 MPSF Championship on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m. at California's Spieker Aquatics Complex.
No. 1 UCLA vs. Washington & Jefferson (MPSF Championship - Quarterfinals - Game 24)
6x5 - UCLA - 1/3 - W&J - 0/0
Penalties - UCLA - 0/2 - W&J - 0/0
W&J Goals: Mitchell Rubio 2, AJ Alderman 1, Aidan Johnson 1
W&J Saves: Zishuo Ma 6
UCLA Goals: Grant Loth 6, Wade Sherlock 3, Ben Liechty 3, Frederico Jucá Carsalade 2, Maximo Rossi 2, Eli Liechty 1, Marcell Szécsi 1, Ben Larsen 1, Rafael Real Vergara 1, Jack Larsen 1, Noah Rowe 1, Hayden Nightingale 1, Vinnie Merk 1, Giorgio Alessandria 1
UCLA Saves: Bernardo Maurizi 17
The Bruins had a season-high 14 players score in the contest, led by a career-high six goals from redshirt sophomore Grant Loth. Freshmen Ben Liechty and Wade Sherlock each scored a hat trick while redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsalade added two scores.
Senior Bernardo Maurizi got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying a season-high 17 saves and three assists while surrendering four goals.
The Bruins won the first period, 6-0. Jucá Carsalade opened the scoring (7:41) and senior Jack Larsen scored on a counter (5:42) to put the Bruins up 2-0. Senior Rafael Real Vergara scored a power play goal (5:05) and then sophomore Noah Rowe scored on a strike from the front court (3:41) to make it 4-0. Ben Liechty netted his first on a counter (2:15) and Loth scored his first from two meters (1:37) to end the scoring in the first period.
The Bruins won the second period, 6-3, to take a 12-3 lead into the break. Redshirt freshman Ben Larsen opened the scoring in the second period (7:46) with a goal from the front court to put UCLA up 7-0. Ben Liechty followed with his second score on a counter (6:47) and Jucá Carsalade added another counter goal (5:13) to push the lead to 9-0. After a goal by the Presidents (4:50), Loth scored his second from two meters (4:30) to make it 10-1. Another goal by W&J (4:12) was answered by a third goal from Loth at set (2:25) to put the Bruins up 11-2. The Presidents scored a third goal in the period (0:51) that was immediately answered by redshirt freshman Vinnie Merk's first score of the game (0:35) to end the scoring in the second quarter with UCLA up 12-3.
UCLA won the third period, 7-1, to build a 19-4 lead heading into the final stanza. Ben Liechty completed his hat trick on a third counter goal (7:07) and then freshman Marcell Szácsi netted his first (5:20) to put UCLA up 14-3. Sherlock then scored back-to-back goals (3:52 and 2:52) to push the lead to 16-3. After a score from the Presidents (2:33), the Bruins scored three to end the quarter. Redshirt junior Maximo Rossi scored (2:06) his first, Loth knotched his fourth (1:29) and senior Hayden Nightingale scored his first (0:29) to make it 19-4.
The Bruins won the fourth quarter, 6-0, to provide the 25-4 final. Senior Giorgio Alessandria scored his first of the game to open the scoring in the fourth (7:32). Redshirt sophomore Eli Liechty scored his first goal (5:10) to push the lead to 21-4. Sherlock then completed his hat trick (2:47) to make it 22-4. Loth then scored his fifth and sixth goals of the game (2:05 and 1:21) to extend the lead to 24-4. UCLA ended the game the way it began, on a 9-0 scoring run, after Rossi netted his second of the game (0:28) to end the scoring.
UP NEXT: The Bruins now face No. 3 USC in the first semifinal of the 2023 MPSF Championship on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m. at California's Spieker Aquatics Complex.
No. 1 UCLA vs. Washington & Jefferson (MPSF Championship - Quarterfinals - Game 24)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Washington & Jefferson | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 25 |
Penalties - UCLA - 0/2 - W&J - 0/0
W&J Goals: Mitchell Rubio 2, AJ Alderman 1, Aidan Johnson 1
W&J Saves: Zishuo Ma 6
UCLA Goals: Grant Loth 6, Wade Sherlock 3, Ben Liechty 3, Frederico Jucá Carsalade 2, Maximo Rossi 2, Eli Liechty 1, Marcell Szécsi 1, Ben Larsen 1, Rafael Real Vergara 1, Jack Larsen 1, Noah Rowe 1, Hayden Nightingale 1, Vinnie Merk 1, Giorgio Alessandria 1
UCLA Saves: Bernardo Maurizi 17
Team Stats
WAS
UCL
Shots
35
43
Goals
4
25
Assists
4
21
Points
8
46
Exclusions
3
0
Steals
6
5
Sprints
0
4
1
Frederico Jucá Carsalade
07:41
Jack Larsen
05:42
Rafael Real Vergara
05:05
Noah Rowe
03:41
Ben Liechty
02:15
Grant Loth
01:37
2
Ben Larsen
07:46
Ben Liechty
06:47
Frederico Jucá Carsalade
05:13
Aj Alderman
04:50
Grant Loth
04:30
Mitchell Rubio
04:12
Grant Loth
02:25
Mitchell Rubio
00:51
Vinnie Merk
00:35
3
Ben Liechty
07:07
Marcell Szécsi
05:20
Wade Sherlock
03:52
Wade Sherlock
02:52
Aidan Johnson
02:33
Maximo Rossi
02:06
Grant Loth
01:29
Hayden Nightingale
00:29
4
Giorgio Alessandria
07:32
Eli Liechty
05:10
Wade Sherlock
02:47
Grant Loth
02:05
Grant Loth
01:21
Maximo Rossi
00:28
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
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