Courtesy: UCLA Athletics
BERKELEY, Calif. — No. 1 UCLA (16-0, 2-0 MPSF WEST) continued its winning ways with an impressive 14-11 win at No. 2 California (12-2, 1-1 MPSF WEST) at Spieker Aquatics Complex, snapping the Golden Bears’ 13-game home winning streak that dated back to 2021. This marked the Bruins’ second win over the Golden Bears this season as UCLA snapped Cal’s 15-game winning streak with a 12-10 win to capture the Overnght MPSF Invitational title back on Sept. 24. UCLA improved to 92-76-1 all-time in the series history against the Golden Bears.
The Bruins had six players score in the contest, led by four goals from senior Rafael Real Vergara. Vergara led the Bruins in the game with six points (also had two assists) and increased his scoring total to eight goals and five assists (13 points) in the two wins over the two-time defending NCAA Champions this year. Senior Jack Larsen finished with four total points (three goals and an assist), as did fellow senior Makoto Kenney (four goals).
Senior Garret Griggs got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 11 saves and one steal while surrendering 11 goals.
California won the first period, 4-3, jumping out to a 2-0 advantage. The Bruins got a power play goal from Real Vergara (5:50), a front court strike from freshman Wade Sherlock (3:34), and a score from redshirt sophomore Grant Loth from two meters (2:18).
The Bruins began the rally and strong finish, winning the second quarter, 4-2, to take a 7-6 lead into the break. Larsen scored his first goal from two meters (5:47) to tie the game and then Kenney struck for his first of the game (4:08), giving UCLA its first lead of the contest at 5-4. Real Vergara scored his second (2:45) on a power play off a feed from redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsalade to push the lead to 6-4. Real Vergara completed his hat trick after the Golden Bears tied the game with a power play goal (0:53) off an assist from Larsen to end the scoring in the second with the Bruins leading by one.
The Bruins put another 4-2 spot on the board to win the third and build an 11-8 lead heading into the final stanza. California would never get closer than two goals the rest of the way as the Bruins had an answer every time. Kenney scored twice from the front court in the quarter (7:30 and 1:33) to complete his hat trick. Freshman Marcell Szécsi scored a goal at two meters off a nice pass from Real Vergara (6:51) and Larsen netted his second from the front court (2:21) in the third period.
Both teams battled to a 3-3 draw in the fourth period to provide the 14-11 final. Cal opened the scoring in the final stanza with a power play goal (7:15), but Kenney answered with his fourth goal (5:34) from the front court. Another power play goal for Cal (3:54) was answered by Real Vergara’s fourth goal of the game (3:29) to make it 13-10. Larsen would complete his hat trick (2:29) with a strike from the front court and Cal would get a fifth goal of the game from Roberto Valero (1:40) to end the scoring.
UP NEXT: The Bruins will be at No. 5 Stanford on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 1:00 p.m. at Avery Aquatic Center.
No. 2 UCLA at No. 1 California (MPSF Contest – Game 16)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 1 UCLA | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 14 |
| No. 2 California | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
6×5 – UCLA – 4/9 – CAL – 4/12
Penalties – UCLA – 0/0 – CAL – 1/1
UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 4, Makoto Kenney 4, Jack Larsen 3, Marcell Szécsi 1, Wade Sherlock 1, Grant Loth 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 11
CAL Goals: Roberto Valero 5, Jordi Gascon 3, Albert Ponferrada 1, Max Casabella 1, William Kelly 1
CAL Saves: Adrian Weinberg 7
Courtesy: Cal Athletics
BERKELEY – Playing without two-time ACWPC Player of the Year Nikolaos Papanikolaou, the No. 2 California men’s water polo team fell to No. 1 UCLA 14-11 Saturday in the Golden Bears’ 2023 home opener at Spieker Aquatics Complex.
Junior Roberto Valera led all players with a season high five goals. Senior goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg made seven saves, including one in the second quarter which moved him into the MPSF’s all time top five.
The Bears (12-2, 1-1) played in front of their raucous home crowd for the first time last year’s NCAA championship game and jumped out to an 2-0 lead with a pair of early goals from the outside by Valera. Cal’s juniors added two more with a penalty by Max Casabella and a goal from center by Jordi Gascon to take a 4-3 lead into the second period.
After a surge by the Bruins (16-0, 2-0) saw them take a two goal lead, back-to-back scores from William Kelly and Albert Ponferrada tied it at 6-6. UCLA scored in the final minute of the half to take a 7-6 edge into the break and didn’t trail the rest of the way.
Cal got another two physical goals inside from Gascon in the opening minutes of the third, giving him his second hat trick of the year. Valera put away three more in the final frame as he reached five goals for the first time this season.
Weinberg’s career saves total increased to 899, moving him past UC Santa Barbara’s Chris Whitelegge (2012-15) for fifth all time in MPSF history.
The game also saw alumni from Cal’s 1973 and 1983 teams honored at halftime, celebrating the 50th and 40th anniversaries of their NCAA championship wins.
No. 1 UCLA 14, No. 1 California 11
Cal 4 2 2 3 – 11
UCLA 3 4 4 3 – 14
Cal Goals: Roberto Valera 5, Jordi Gascon 3, Albert Ponferrada, Max Casabella, William Kelly
UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 4, Makoto Kenney 4, Jack Larsen 3, Marcell Szécsi, Wade Sherlock, Grant Loth
Cal Saves: Adrian Weinberg 7
UCLA Saves: Garrett Griggs 11
