UCLA WATER POLO UCLA WATER POLO
LOS ANGELES -- No. 2 UCLA (22-1, 5-1 MPSF West) ruined the Trojans' Senior Day in the rain on Saturday, rallying to defeat No. 1 USC, 14-13, at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The Bruins improved to 102-93-1 in the series history against the USC Trojans (18-3, 4-2 MPSF West). It marked the third consecutive year the Bruins have won the MPSF West regular season, finishing 6-0 in 2023, 5-1 in 2024, and 5-1 this year.
UCLA had nine different players score, paced by a game-high-tying four goals (all in the second half) from sophomore Ryder Dodd. Redshirt junior Frederico Jucá Carsalade and sophomore Bode Brinkema were the only other Bruin to score multiple goals with two. Junior Ben Liechty (one goal, three assists) would tie Brinkema (two goals, two assists), and Ryder Dodd (four goals) with a team-high four points.
Redshirt sophomore Nate Tauscher got the starting nod and went the distance, tallying nine saves and a steal while surrendering 13 goals, tied for the most goals scored on the Bruins all season (both times against USC).
The Bruins got off to a hot start, scoring the first three goals of the game and leading 3-1 at the end of the first period. But the Trojans dominated the second period, 5-2, to take a 6-5 lead into the break. Both teams battled to a 4-4 draw in the third period as USC clung to a 10-9 lead heading into the fourth period. Ryder Dodd's second goal of the game came on a 7-on-6 play with him scoring at the buzzer.
Redshirt senior Chase Dodd scored the opening goal of the fourth to tie it at 10-10 (7:05). USC regained the lead (6:39), but the Bruins tied it up at 11-11 on a penalty goal by Ryder Dodd (drawn by sophomore Peter Castillo) at the 6:13 mark of the fourth. USC again reclaimed the lead on a power play (4:49), but Jucá Carsalade got the equalizer (12-12) with his second goal from the front court (3:08). Another Trojan power play saw USC reclaim the lead (2:21), but Brinkema netted his second (1:55) from the front court to tie the game at 13-13. The game was becoming more physical at center as the match progressed and reached a boiling point at the 1:09 mark of the fourth with one player on each side getting whistled on a double exclusion and one Trojan being called for a penalty, which Ryder Dodd converted for the eventual game-winning goal, his fourth of the contest. The Bruins' defense did the rest, forcing a shot clock on USC's next possession and getting a field block by Ryder Dodd at the buzzer on the Trojans' last attempt.
Up Next: The Bruins head to Stanford, Calif., for the 2025 MPSF Championship Tournament as the No. 1 seed. UCLA will take on the winner of eighth-seeded Penn State Behrend and ninth-seeded Connecticut College on Friday, Nov. 21 at 1:00 p.m. PT at Avery Aquatics Center.
No. 2 UCLA at No. 1 USC (Regular Season Finale - MPSF Match - Game 23)
6x5 - UCLA - 1/13 - USC - 8/13
Penalties - UCLA - 2/2 - USC - 1/1
UCLA Goals: Ryder Dodd 4, Frederico Jucá Carsalade 2, Bode Brinkema 2, Wade Sherlock 1, Peter Castillo 1, Max Matthews 1, Ben Liechty 1, Chase Dodd 1, Vinnie Merk 1
UCLA Saves: Nate Tauscher 9
USC Goals: Strahinja Krstic 4, Robert Lopez Duarte 3, Stefan Brankovic 2, Jack Martin 1, Jack Vort 1, Andrej Grgurevic 1, Luke Nelson 1
USC Saves: Charles Mills 9, Bernardo Herzer 2
LOS ANGELES -- No. 2 UCLA (22-1, 5-1 MPSF West) ruined the Trojans' Senior Day in the rain on Saturday, rallying to defeat No. 1 USC, 14-13, at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The Bruins improved to 102-93-1 in the series history against the USC Trojans (18-3, 4-2 MPSF West). It marked the third consecutive year the Bruins have won the MPSF West regular season, finishing 6-0 in 2023, 5-1 in 2024, and 5-1 this year.
UCLA had nine different players score, paced by a game-high-tying four goals (all in the second half) from sophomore Ryder Dodd. Redshirt junior Frederico Jucá Carsalade and sophomore Bode Brinkema were the only other Bruin to score multiple goals with two. Junior Ben Liechty (one goal, three assists) would tie Brinkema (two goals, two assists), and Ryder Dodd (four goals) with a team-high four points.
Redshirt sophomore Nate Tauscher got the starting nod and went the distance, tallying nine saves and a steal while surrendering 13 goals, tied for the most goals scored on the Bruins all season (both times against USC).
The Bruins got off to a hot start, scoring the first three goals of the game and leading 3-1 at the end of the first period. But the Trojans dominated the second period, 5-2, to take a 6-5 lead into the break. Both teams battled to a 4-4 draw in the third period as USC clung to a 10-9 lead heading into the fourth period. Ryder Dodd's second goal of the game came on a 7-on-6 play with him scoring at the buzzer.
Redshirt senior Chase Dodd scored the opening goal of the fourth to tie it at 10-10 (7:05). USC regained the lead (6:39), but the Bruins tied it up at 11-11 on a penalty goal by Ryder Dodd (drawn by sophomore Peter Castillo) at the 6:13 mark of the fourth. USC again reclaimed the lead on a power play (4:49), but Jucá Carsalade got the equalizer (12-12) with his second goal from the front court (3:08). Another Trojan power play saw USC reclaim the lead (2:21), but Brinkema netted his second (1:55) from the front court to tie the game at 13-13. The game was becoming more physical at center as the match progressed and reached a boiling point at the 1:09 mark of the fourth with one player on each side getting whistled on a double exclusion and one Trojan being called for a penalty, which Ryder Dodd converted for the eventual game-winning goal, his fourth of the contest. The Bruins' defense did the rest, forcing a shot clock on USC's next possession and getting a field block by Ryder Dodd at the buzzer on the Trojans' last attempt.
Up Next: The Bruins head to Stanford, Calif., for the 2025 MPSF Championship Tournament as the No. 1 seed. UCLA will take on the winner of eighth-seeded Penn State Behrend and ninth-seeded Connecticut College on Friday, Nov. 21 at 1:00 p.m. PT at Avery Aquatics Center.
No. 2 UCLA at No. 1 USC (Regular Season Finale - MPSF Match - Game 23)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 2 UCLA | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 14 |
| No. 1 USC | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
6x5 - UCLA - 1/13 - USC - 8/13
Penalties - UCLA - 2/2 - USC - 1/1
UCLA Goals: Ryder Dodd 4, Frederico Jucá Carsalade 2, Bode Brinkema 2, Wade Sherlock 1, Peter Castillo 1, Max Matthews 1, Ben Liechty 1, Chase Dodd 1, Vinnie Merk 1
UCLA Saves: Nate Tauscher 9
USC Goals: Strahinja Krstic 4, Robert Lopez Duarte 3, Stefan Brankovic 2, Jack Martin 1, Jack Vort 1, Andrej Grgurevic 1, Luke Nelson 1
USC Saves: Charles Mills 9, Bernardo Herzer 2