No. 2 UCLA Takes Down No. 1 California, 12-10

Sunday, September 24

Los Angeles, CA

1:00 PM

UCLA

13-0

California

12-1

UCLA (M)

California (M)

Seniors Rafael Real Vergara (7) and Jack Larsen (10) led the Bruins with four and three goals, respectively.

Photo by: Ross Turteltaub

No. 2 UCLA Takes Down No. 1 California, 12-10

September 24, 2023 | Men's Water Polo

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

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LOS ANGELES -- No. 2 UCLA (13-0) won the 2023 Overnght MPSF Invitational crown with a 12-10 upset win over No. 1 California (12-1) at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center, snapping the Golden Bears' 15-game winning streak in the process. The win today also snapped the Bruins' seven-game losing streak to Cal, dating back to the 2020 season (which was contested in the spring of 2021). UCLA improved to 91-76-1 all-time in the series history against the Golden Bears.

The Bruins had six players score in the contest, led by four more goals from senior Rafael Real Vergara. Vergara led the Bruins in the game with seven points (also had three assists) and ended the tournament with 16 goals in three games (he didn't play in the Bruins' win over Occidental). Senior Jack Larsen finished with six total points (three goals and three assists). Senior Hayden Nightingale was the Bruins' only other multiple goal scorer with two goals.

Senior Garret Griggs got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying eight saves while surrendering nine goals. One goal at the end of the second period was credited to Frederico Jucá Carsalade who was in goalie cap 1B as the Bruins were on a 7-on-6 for the final 0:29 of the second period.

UCLA won the first period, 3-2, jumping out to a 2-0 advantage. Nightingale (6:22) and Jack Larsen (5:18) scored power play goals to open the scoring. After Cal scored a goal Ben Larsen scored a power play goal (2:42) off a pass from his brother, Jack, to make it 3-1 UCLA. Cal would score a power play goal (1:52) to end the scoring in the first.

The Bruins would also win the second quarter, 4-3, to take a 7-5 lead into the break. California tied the game at 3-3 with 6:41 to go in the second. But UCLA would go on a 4-0 scoring run to take command of the game. Jack Larsen scored his second (6:16) and freshman Marcell Szécsi scored his first off a feed from sophomore Noah Rowe (5:22) to make it 5-3. Real Vergara then got his first on a power play and a feed from Jack Larsen (3:01) followed by his second on a penalty shot that was drawn by Jack Larsen (1:46). California scored on a counter (0:27) and the Golden Bears' keeper would score on a empty net when the Bruins pulled their goalie to run a 7-on-6 but missed wide with 0:01 remaining, giving enough time for Adrian Weinberg to take a shot, ending the scoring in the second period.

The Bruins wouldn't lose a single quarter to the two-time defending NCAA Champions all game, earning a 4-4 draw in the third quarter and a 1-1 draw in the fourth to provide the 12-10 final. California would tie the game at 9-9 in the third with a counter goal by Nikolaos Papanikolaou, his only goal of the game, with 1:17 to go. But the Bruins answered with back-to-back goals from Rowe (0:54) and Real Vergara (0:01) to push the lead back to two goals at 11-9 heading into the final period..

UCLA's stout defense held the Golden Bears in check in the fourth after Jack Larsen opened the scoring in the period with a strike from the front court (2:40) to complete his hat trick, putting the Bruins up 12-9. Marton Szatmary scored a power play goal for Cal (1:20), its lone goal of the fourth, to provide the 12-10 final. UCLA's defense held California to 2-for-13 on power plays (.154) and 10-for-33 shooting (.303).

UP NEXT: The Bruins will return home for a rematch with No. 4 Pepperdine on Friday, Sept. 29 at 5:00 p.m. at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. UCLA will also host Air Force on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 6:00 p.m. PT. Admission is free.

No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 1 California (Overnght MPSF Invitational - Finals - Game 13)

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
No. 2 UCLA	3	4	4	1	12
No. 1 California	2	3	4	1	10

6x5 - UCLA - 6/16 - CAL - 2/13
Penalties - UCLA - 2/3 - CAL - 1/2

UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 4, Jack Larsen 3, Hayden Nightingale 2, Ben Larsen 1, Marcell Szécsi 1, Noah Rowe 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 8

CAL Goals: Max Casabella 4, Adrian Weinberg 1, Nikolaos Papanikolaou 1 Albert Ponferrada 1, Marton Szatmary 1, Nik Mirkovic 1, Jake Stone 1
CAL Saves: Adrian Weinberg 8