LA JOLLA, Calif. – No. 1 UCLA men’s water polo kicked off its 2026 season Saturday with a pair of wins at the Triton Invitational. The Bruins defeated No. 20 Saint Mary’s 23-5 before taking down Bucknell by a 23-8 margin.
Ben Liechty led all UCLA players with seven goals on the day. Stanford transfers Jack Merrill and Griffen Price also had big days for the Bruins (2-0). Merrill logged six total goals, while Price turned away 13 shots in the cage.
UCLA jumped out to a 6-0 lead against Saint Mary’s (0-3) and never looked back, with Liechty, Merrill, Hayden O’Hare and Wade Sherlock the scoring catalysts. Liechty’s second goal of the first half increased the Bruins’ lead to 13-3 and it would remain in double figures for the remaining 18:31. He would finish out a hat trick moments later.
Sherlock totaled four goals, matching his career high set as a freshman in 2023. Merrill poured in four goals of his own. Fellow newcomers Danilo Dragovic (two goals), Chase McFarland and Flynn Guenther also scored in their UCLA debuts. O’Hare, who sat out the 2025 campaign, logged a hat trick in his first appearance.
The Bruins capitalized on 10 of 13 six-on-five opportunities. The Gaels logged just one goal in six chances. Logging time in the cage for UCLA were Harper Gardner, Stanford transfer Griffen Price and Ryder Dodd (seven on six). Price had six saves, while Gardner posted four. Each was playing his first game for the Bruins.
Game 2 saw UCLA score the first five goals and lead 8-2 after one quarter. Eight different Bruins scored in the frame, with freshman Tristan Tucker capping it with his first. He finished with two on the game. The teams alternated two goals each to start the second, but UCLA collected the final four goals. Liechty piled up three of them.
The Bruin lead continued to grow in the second half. Merrill added to his day’s tally with two in the third quarter. Dodd notched his third goal and second seven-on-six strike, Alex Heenan completed his first career hat trick in the fourth.
Price turned away eight Bison attempts, including a penalty shot in the first. Gardner stopped four. UCLA again had success in man-up situations, converting on seven of nine chances. Bucknell (1-3) was held to two in nine.
The Bruins head up to Stockton, Calif. for a matchup with Pacific Sept. 4 (3 p.m. PT). A quick turnaround ensues, with the Aggie Roundup following the next day. UCLA meets UC Davis (8 a.m.) and Santa Clara (1:15 p.m.) in a doubleheader.
GAME 1: No. 1 UCLA 23, No. 20 Saint Mary's 5
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 20 Saint Mary's | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 23 |
6x5: Saint Mary’s 1/6, UCLA 10/13
Penalties: Saint Mary’s 0/0, UCLA 2/2
Saint Mary’s Goals: Hachem 2, Black 1, de Witt, Barillà 1
UCLA Goals: Merrill 4, Sherlock 4, Liechty 3, O’Hare 3, Dragovic 2, Brinkema 1, Dodd 1, Guenther 1, Heenan 1, Jucá Carsalade 1, McFarland 1, Merk 1
UCLA Saves: Price 5, Gardner 4
GAME 2: No. 1 UCLA 23, Bucknell 8
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| Bucknell | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 8 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 23 |
6x5: Bucknell 2/9, UCLA 7/9
Penalties: Bucknell 0/2, UCLA 0/0
Bucknell Goals: Tunnicliff 3, Cicchetti 2, Dillane 1, Singleton 1, Tweed 1
UCLA Goals: Liechty 4, Heenan 3, Brinkema 2, Dodd 2, Merrill 2, Szécsi 2, T. Tucker 2, Castillo 1, Jucá Carsalade 1, Larsen 1, Matthews 1, Sherlock 1
UCLA Saves: Price 8, Gardner 5