LOS ANGELES – The top-ranked UCLA men’s water polo team opened its home slate Saturday with wins against No. 14 UC Santa Barbara and No. 15 LMU. The games were played as part of the UCLA Mini Invite at Spieker Aquatics Center. The Bruins beat UCSB 13-9 in the morning and took down LMU 24-12 in the afternoon. UCSB also outlasted LMU 13-12 in the day’s final contest.

It was a big day for UCLA’s Jack Merrill, who posted two hat tricks and seven total goals. Logging five goals each across the two matchups were Ryder Dodd, Luka Gladović and Marcell Szécsi of the Bruins (8-0). Harper Gardner, Nate Tauscher and Nick Tovani each played at least one quarter in goal for UCLA.

The Bruins raced out to a 5-0 lead after one against UCSB (11-5). Five different UCLA players scored across those initial eight minutes. The Gauchos converted three in the second, but their deficit grew. Merrill scored for the second time and was supported by Bode Brinkema, Max Matthews and Chase McFarland. McFarland was successful on a penalty shot.

The Bruin lead twice reached a game-high eight goals in the second half. Szécsi’s extra-man score at 4:57 of the third quarter made it 11-3 before UCSB added a pair. UCLA scored the first two goals of the final frame, with Gladović successful on a penalty shot and Merrill finishing off his hat trick. The Gauchos scored four of the game’s final five goals, but they were too little, too late.

In Game 2, the Bruins built a 4-1 lead just past the first period’s midway point. Merrill picked up a couple during that stretch. The Lions (4-2) showed resolve, though, trimming their deficit to one at 5-4 after one. The second was all UCLA, which led 10-5 at halftime behind Danilo Dragović’s two goals. Merrill fired a shot just before the buzzer that completed his second hat trick of the day.

The teams combined for 21 second-half goals. Gladović scored all four of his during the final 16 minutes, including three during the third frame. Szécsi and Ben Larsen each found the back of the net twice for the Bruins. UCLA’s Andrew Spencer added his first career goal with 55 seconds remaining.

The Bruins next head north to take part in the Overnght MPSF Invitational, hosted by Stanford. Avery Aquatic Center will host games Friday-Sunday. Day 1 matchups will be announced in the coming days.


No. 1 UCLA 13, No. 14 UC Santa Barbara 9

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
No. 14 UC Santa Barbara	0	3	2	4	9
No. 1 UCLA	5	4	2	2	13

6x5: UC Santa Barbara 3/9, UCLA 6/8
Penalties: UC Santa Barbara 1/1, UCLA 2/2

UC Santa Barbara Goals: Brown 2, Johnson 2, Canepa 1, D’Ambrosia 1, O’Brien 1, Ross 1, Simoncelli 1
UC Santa Barbara Saves:  Pieretti 6, Lacy 1

UCLA Goals: Merrill 3, Dodd 2, Szécsi 2, Brinkema 1, Castillo 1, Gladović 1, Larsen 1, Matthews 1, McFarland
UCLA Saves: Gardner 5, Tauscher 5


No. 1 UCLA 24, No. 15 LMU 12

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
No. 15 LMU	4	1	4	3	12
No. 1 UCLA	5	5	7	7	24

6x5: LMU 4/8, UCLA 8/12
Penalties: LMU 3/4, UCLA 1/1

LMU Goals: Dimic 3, Barics 2, Obando 2, Saroyan 2, Furneaux 1, Mendiburu 1, Moore 1
LMU Saves:  Ramirez 2

UCLA Goals: Gladović 4, Merrill 4, Dodd 3, Szécsi 3, Dragović 2, Larsen 2, Colman 1, Liechty 1, O’Hare 1, Spencer 1, H. Tucker 1, T. Tucker 1
UCLA Saves: Gardner 5, Tauscher 2, Tovani 2