UCLA Men’s Water Polo To Play Stanford in SoCal Invitational Title Game

Yesterday, the UCLA men’s water polo team beat UC Berkeley in the quarterfinals by the score of 12-9 and followed that up by beating #1 UC Santa Barbara, 9-8, in the semifinals. Now, today, the Bruins will face Stanford in the championship game at 1 pm PT.

Last Time Out

UCLA faced UC Berkeley yesterday morning in the quarterfinals of this weekend’s tournament. Jake Cavano scored four goals in the game for the Bruins while Felix Brozyna-Vilim added two as UCLA defeated the Golden Bears, 12-9. Ashworth Molthen also scored two fourth quarter goals, one of which was the game-winner.

Jack White, Tommy Gruwell, Bailey Jarvis and Nicolas Saveljic all had a goal a piece in this one.

While that game wasn’t over until the fourth quarter, the real battle of the day yesterday was against UC Santa Barbara. Andy Rogers opened the scoring for UCLA with a power play goal three minutes into the game. The GauStandchos tied the game about three minutes later, but Gruwell got the lead back for the Bruins 18 seconds later. UCSB scored again before the end of the quarter, but Rogers scored his second goal with 37 seconds left in the quarter and the Bruins led 3-2 after one.

Jake Cavano gave the Bruins a two-goal lead less than a minute into the quarter, but the teams alternated goals in the period. Molthen scored the other two goals for UCLA in the quarter and the Bruins led 6-5 at the half.

Matthew Kacura scored the Bruins’ two goals in the third while the Gauchos also scored two and, after three, UCLA led 8-7.

Midway through the fourth, the Gauchos tied it up, 8-8 and it stayed that way until there were just 45 seconds left when Molthen scored his third goal of the game and his fifth of the day to win the game and send the Bruins to the championship game this afternoon.

Stanford Cardinal

The Cardinal made it to today’s championship game by defeating Long Beach State 14-13 in the quarterfinals and, then, topping Pacific, 15-14, in the semifinals.

This game should be a standard UCLA-Stanford water polo game. That is, expect a knockdown-drag-out fight for the championship as well as the top spot in this week’s CWPA rankings.
I’m giving the Bruins the edge because they are at home. UCLA wins, 12-10.


Go Bruins!!!