University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Men's Water Polo to Represent Team USA at World University Games
July 26, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELES – The UCLA Bruins' Men's Water Polo Team will be representing Team USA in Chengdu, China, for the upcoming 2023 FISU World University Games. While the opening ceremony is slated for July 28, the men's water polo competition actually begins on July 27.
Representing the Bruins will be these 2023 returning players:
Redshirt senior utility Giorgio Alessandria (Lafayette, Calif. / Campolindo HS)
Sophomore utility Gray Carson (Long Beach, Calif. / Woodrow Wilson HS)
Senior goalkeeper Garret Griggs (Riverside, Calif. / Riverside Poly HS)
Senior attacker Makoto Kenney (Costa Mesa, Calif. / Newport Harbor HS)
Redshirt Freshman Utility Ben Larsen (Lafayette, Calif. / Campolindo HS)
Redshirt senior attacker Jack Larsen (Orinda, Calif. / Campolindo HS)
Redshirt sophomore center Eli Liechty (Newport Beach, Calif. / Newport Harbor HS)
Redshirt sophomore center Grant Loth (Newport Beach, Calif. / Mater Dei HS)
Redshirt freshman attacker Vinnie Merk (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Mater Dei HS)
Sophomore attacker Noah Rowe (North Tustin, Calif. / Foothill HS)
Also representing the Bruins will be these 2023 incoming players:
Freshman goalkeeper Nathan Tauscher (Sunset Beach, Calif. / Mater Dei HS)
Freshman Utility Ben Liechty (Newport Beach, Calif. / Newport Harbor HS)
Freshman attacker Wade Sherlock (Long Beach, Calif. / Orange Lutheran HS)
Returning players redshirt sophomore attacker Trey Doten (Davis, Calif. / Davis Senior HS) and redshirt junior utility Maximo Rossi (Laguna Beach, Calif. / Mater Dei HS) are the alternates.
Team USA will be without the services of returning Bruins Tommy Gruwell and Chase Dodd, as both are at the World Championship in Fukuoka, Japan with the USA Men's National Team.
The staff for Team USA includes: Adam Wright, Jason Falitz, Alleah Gogley, Carl Stocklin, and Kyle Boal.
Team USA opens WUG pool play with Italy, the defending World University Games champion (2019). The World University Games slated for 2021 to be hosted by Chengdu, China, were postponed due to COVID-19. The Americans will take on Italy at 3:15 PM local time on July 27 (12:15 a.m. on July 27.
Here's the rest of the schedule (local to site):
July 28 - Opening Ceremony
July 29 - vs. Slovakia at 1:30 PM (10:30 PM July 28 in Los Angeles)
July 30 - vs. China at 1:30 PM (10:30 PM July 29 in Los Angeles)
Aug. 1 - vs. South Korea at 5:00 PM (2:00 AM Aug. 1 in Los Angeles)
Aug. 2 - vs. Georgia at 5:00 PM (2:00 AM Aug. 1 in Los Angeles)
Aug. 4 - Quarterfinals
Aug. 6 - Semifinals
Aug. 8 - Medal Games
The USA Men's National Team earned silver at the 2019 World University Games following an 18-7 loss to Italy in the championship match (in Naples, Italy). The loss halted Team USA's undefeated run in Italy after going 6-0 in previous action. UCLA's Jake Cavano, as well as Tyler Abramson, and Quinn Woodhead, all scored two goals in the final match which featured Team USA's best finish since winning gold in 1993. It also marked a return to the podium for the first time since 2015 when UCLA (playing as Team USA) earned bronze.
Cavano was one of seven Bruins with Team USA on the men's side in 2019. He was second on the team in scoring with 17 goals, which ranked 11th among all competitors. He scored 12 goals in pool play and another five in the final rounds. Eight of his goals came on power plays, which ranked fourth in the tournament. Tommy Gruwell finished with four total goals as did Felix Brozyna-Vilim, while Evan Rosenfeld chipped in three. Two other Bruins were on the coaching staff for Team USA, which included Brian Flacks (head coach) and Bret Lathrope (assistant coach).
Team USA (6-2) won its first medal of any kind at the World University Games since winning gold in 1993 with a thrilling 5-4 victory over Serbia (3-1-4) in the bronze medal match of the 2015 World University Games on July 14 at the Yeomju Indoor Aquatics Center in Gwangju, South Korea. Maxwell Irving scored a game-high two goals, including the game-winner at the 5:40 mark of the fourth period.
Players Mentioned
