UCLA Men's Water Polo Wins NC #125!
The Bruins beat the Trojans, 11-10, to claim UCLA's 125th NCAA title.
The UCLA Men’s Water Polo team has won the Bruins’ 125th NCAA Championship!
Wow! Just wow! UCLA defeated Southern Cal for the second year in a row as the Bruins became back-to-back national champions this afternoon.
The Bruins needed every second of the 32 minutes in this game in order to win it.
UCLA took the lead just 26 seconds into the game when Chase Dodd drew first blood. The Trojans tied the game with 6:15 to go in the quarter. Bode Brinkema put the Bruins back in front with 5:05 left and then, with just 23 second to go in the first, Chase Dodd scored his second goal of the quarter. After one, the Bruins had a 3-1 lead.
Then, seemingly, the wheels came off in the second quarter. Southern Cal scored 32 seconds into the quarter to close the gap to 3-2, but Ryder Dodd got the goal back with 6:05 left in the half. From that point until the end of the half, the Trojans scored four consecutive goals and Southern Cal led, 6-4, at the half.
Brinkema scored his second goal of the game 50 seconds into the second half, cutting the lead to 6-5. More than three minutes elapsed before another goal would be scored, but it was Southern Cal who got it with 4:05 left in the third to increase their lead to 7-5. Just 55 seconds later, Wade Sherlock closed the gap to 7-6 for the Bruins. The teams would trade another goal each before the end of the third. Southern Cal’s came with 2:24 while Federico Jucá Carsalade scored his first of the game with 31 seconds left. At the end of three, the Trojans clung to an 8-7 lead.
But the momentum was shifting.
Ben Liechty added a power play goal for the Bruins to tie the game, 8-8, with 6:44 left in the game. Just 52 seconds later, the Trojans re-took the lead. With about three and a half to go, it looked like the Bruins had tied it back up, but a penalty was called and the goal was nullified. It didn’t matter. Ryder Dodd made the ensuing penalty shot to tie the game.
With 2:35 left, Ryder Dodd completed his hat trick to put the Bruins up for the first time since Southern Cal had their second quarter surge, and UCLA led 10-9. But the pesky Trojans got an equalizer just 32 seconds later.
It was still tied, 10-10, with 43 seconds left and the Trojans had the ball, but the Bruin defense swarmed and Southern Cal didn’t get a shot off before the shot clock expired, turning the ball over to UCLA with 12 seconds left.
At this point, UCLA head coach Adam Wright pulled goalie Nate Tauscher. It was a risky move which could have cost the Bruins if the Trojans stole the ball. The Bruins worked it as the clock ticked down, looking to take a shot as late as possible. With just a second left, Carsalade fired. GOAL! The Bruins win! National championship #125 is coming home!
It was a glorious win for the Bruins and a horrible way to lose for the Trojans.
It’s a great day to be alive and be a Bruin!!!
Go Bruins!!! Way to bring home NC#125!!!
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WOW.
Joe,
[More or less a PM to you that will be shared with the rest of the TMB mob.]
..to this day, I remember how you were so gracious to guide me around the "upgraded" Westwood campus to find the aquatic center. I was squiring my grandson -- then an aspiring H2O polo player -- and your messages got me to the show on time and without difficulty! WP IV was impressed with the awesome NCAA banners UCLA had tacked up at poolside and the wheels were turning about getting a scholarship. However VB won out and he is now in his third year at a small D I/D II school in Florida.
..anyway, congratulations to the Bruins and to report that they still trail The Pharme 138 to 125 total* but to have defeated the Toe Jams to achieve this milestone is exceedingly sweet! UCLA now has 14 water polo titles and trails only Cal's 17 titles.** UCLA leads The Toe Jams 125-115 overall with others trailing off in the distance.
All that said, what a contest and a flabbergastingly dramatic win -- with the back and forth and last second goal!
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_schools_with_the_most_NCAA_Division_I_championships
**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_men%27s_water_polo_championship