STANFORD, Calif. – The top-ranked UCLA men’s water polo team rolled to a 23-4 win against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in opening-round action Friday at the Overnght MPSF Invitational. Stanford is hosting the three-day event at Avery Aquatic Center.
Fourteen goal scorers contributed for the Bruins (9-0), who jumped out to a 9-0 lead after one quarter and led 11-0 before CMS found the back of the net. Jackson Harlan scored a game-high four goals and Tristan Tucker recorded his first career hat trick for UCLA. The Bruins’ Harper Gardner registered nine saves. The Stags (1-6) were led by Weston Hartel, who scored twice.
An initial-possession goal by Jack Merrill set the tone. Before the first quarter’s midway point, UCLA led 5-0. Marcell Szécsi scored twice during that stretch. Frederico Jucá Carsalade also logged two goals in the frame, capping it with one in the closing seconds.
Merrill started the next period with his second of the day and Danilo Dragović followed by converting the only penalty shot. Answering CMS’ first goal, Freshmen Connor Colman and Tristan Tucker (twice) ran off three straight and Harlan tacked on two more to finish off his first hat trick of 2026.
Two more Bruin freshmen scored in the third, as Flynn Guenther and Luka Gladović got on the board. Harlan netted his fourth and Hayden O’Hare added a couple. CMS recorded the fourth quarter’s only goal.
UCLA returns to action with two more games Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. PT against No. 9 UC San Diego. UCSD outlasted No. 11 Pepperdine 10-9 Friday. Regardless of the outcome, the Bruins will play a second game in the afternoon.
No. 1 UCLA 23, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 4
|
SCOREBOARD |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
FINAL |
|
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
No. 1 UCLA |
9 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
23 |
6x5: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0/2, UCLA 3/6
Penalties: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0/0, UCLA 1/1
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Goals: Hartel 2, Donat 1, Liberatore 1
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Saves: Campbell 2, Luinenburg 1
UCLA Goals: Harlan 4, T. Tucker 3, Jucá Carsalade 2, Merrill 2, O’Hare 2, Szécsi 2, Castillo 1, Colman 1, Dodd 1, Dragović 1, Gladović 1, Guenther 1, Liechty 1, Merk 1
UCLA Saves: Gardner 9