STANFORD, Calif. – Top-ranked UCLA men’s water polo won two games Saturday at Avery Aquatic Center to reach the Overnght MPSF Invitational final. The Bruins opened by beating No. 9 UC San Diego, then held off a second-half surge from No. 4 California in semifinal action.

UCLA (11-0) doubled up UCSD 16-8 in the opener, with Bruins Luka Gladović (four goals) and Ryder Dodd (three) combining for seven goals. Against Cal, UCLA jumped out to an 8-3 halftime lead before withstanding a push that left the Golden Bears with a final-possession opportunity to tie. Frederico Jucá Carsalade posted the difference-making goal in that one. Nate Tauscher had a big day in goal for the Bruins, turning away 15 shots across both contests.

UCLA scored the first three goals and six of the first seven versus UCSD (9-2). Five different Bruins scored in the initial quarter, with Dodd logging two goals. Gladović scored twice in the second, giving him three for the game and helping grow the lead to 9-3 at halftime.

The second half saw UCLA continue to spread the scoring around, with Peter Castillo, Vinnie Merk, Wade Sherlock (twice) and Marcell Szécsi getting their names on the scoresheet. The Tritons got no closer than five goals in the final 16 minutes and the Bruin advantage reached a game-high eight, where it would finish. Harper Gardner took over for Tauscher in the fourth.

UCLA controlled the first half opposite Cal (8-1). The Golden Bears evened the score at 2-2 with back-to-back goals, but the Bruins collected six of the next seven. The stretch included consecutive strikes by Dodd and was capped by a Jucá Carsalade effort in the half’s last minute. Szécsi joined Dodd in picking up two first-half goals.

Cal chipped away at its deficit in the third quarter, pulling to within 8-6 at the 3:02 mark. Bode Brinkema stopped the UCLA spell at 1:11, though, converting a six-on-five opportunity. A last-second goal by Golden Bear Ilias Angelopoulos made the score 9-7 with eight minutes remaining. Jack Merrill put the Bruins in double figures at 6:15, but Dom Brown answered for Cal just past the quarter’s midpoint. Jucá Carsalade re-established a three-goal cushion, only for Beso Akhvlediani to net a pair. The Golden Bears got one more chance to tie, but a last-second shot skipped over the cage.

UCLA will attempt to claim its fourth straight Overnght MPSF Invitational championship Sunday at 2 p.m. PT. No. 2 USC and No. 3 Stanford meet for the final’s second spot Saturday at 6 p.m.

No. 1 UCLA 16, No. 9 UC San Diego 8

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
No. 9 UC San Diego	2	1	3	2	8
No. 1 UCLA	6	3	3	4	16

6x5: UC San Diego 3/8, UCLA 3/8
Penalties: UC San Diego 0/1, UCLA 1/1

UC San Diego Goals: Boettner 2, Pearce 2, Amburgey 1, Bugelli 1, Hammonds 1, Kurtz 1
UC San Diego Saves: Frost 5, Hegeman 1

UCLA Goals: Gladović 4, Dodd 3, Sherlock 2, Brinkema 1, Castillo 1, Dragović 1, Larsen 1, McFarland 1, Merk 1, Szécsi 1
UCLA Saves: Tauscher 5, Gardner 1


No. 1 UCLA 11, No. 4 California 10

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	FINAL
No. 4 California	2	1	4	3	10
No. 1 UCLA	4	4	1	2	11

6x5: California 4/9, UCLA 4/9
Penalties: California 1/1, UCLA 1/1

California Goals: Akhvlediani 2, Angelopoulos 2, Perrone 2, Arlett 1, Bousfield 1, Brown 1, Inoue 1
California Saves:  Pina 7

UCLA Goals: Dodd 2, Jucá Carsalade 2, Szécsi 2, Brinkema 1, Dragović 1, Gladović 1, McFarland 1, Merrill 1
UCLA Saves: Tauscher 10