Saturday, October 29
Los Angeles, CA
1:00 PM
UCLA
vs
California
Redshirt junior Jack Larsen has scored at least one goal in six of his last seven outings.
Photo by: Sofia McMaster
No. 1 UCLA Hosts No. 2 California on Saturday
October 26, 2022 | Men's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELES โ No. 1 UCLA (19-1, 1-0 MPSF) hosts No. 2 Californiaย (16-1, 1-0 MPSF)ย on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 1:00 p.m. PT at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. The game will be televised live on Pac-12 Los Angeles with Greg Mescallย calling all of the exciting action. Live stats will also be available on the 6-8 Sports platform. UCLA will honor the 50th anniversary of its 1972 NCAA Championship team at halftime of the game against the Golden Bears. Then the Bruins will host their annual Alumni Game at 2:30 p.m. PT.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Saturday, Oct. 29 (MPSFย Gameย - Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center)
1:00 PM PT โ No. 2 California at No. 1 UCLAย | LIVE STATSย |ย WATCH
2:30 PM PT โ UCLA Alumni Game
SERIES HISTORY
UCLA is 90-74-1 all-time in the series history against California. The Golden Bears have won the last five meetings dating back to the 2020 season (that took place in early 2021). California won the last meeting, a 15-13 overtime victory at UCLAย ย in the 2021 NCAA Championship semifinals (Dec. 4). The Bruins had seven different players score in the game, paced by Jake Cavanoย and Makoto Kenney, each with three goals. Nicolas Saveljicย and Gabe Discipuloย both had two goals apiece.ย Bernardo Mauriziย got the start in the cage and went the distance, making 16 saves while surrendering 15 goals. The Golden Bears were led by Max Casabella's six goals and eight total points (two assists). UCLA's last win against the Golden Bears was a 10-7 win at Cal on Jan. 24, 2021.ย A total of seven different Bruins scored in the win. Gabe Discipuloย had a hat trick to lead the Bruins while UCLA received one goal each from Nicolas Saveljic, Evan Rosenfeld, Tommy Gruwell,ย Tanner Puliceย andย Hayden Nightingale.ย Alika Naoneย and Joe Molina led Cal with two goals apiece.
LAST WEEK IN BRUIN WATER POLO
UCLA went 2-0 last week.ย No. 1 UCLA used an eight-goal outburst in the second quarter to cruise past No. 11 UC Santa Barbara, 12-7, on Oct. 20 at home for its 16th-straight win over the Gauchos. The eight goals by the Bruins were the most in any quarter this season and more than UCLA scored in its earlier win over the Gauchos in the opening weekend (the Bruins defeated UCSB 7-6 on Sept. 3). It was also the most goals by the Bruins in any quarter since UCLA dumped nine on Penn State Behrend in the opening quarter of last year's first-round MPSF Tournament win (Nov. 19, 2021).ย Both teams battled to a 1-1 draw at the end of the first period, but then came the Bruins' offensive explosion. The Bruins had six players score in the game, led by redshirt sophomoreย Gianpiero Di Martire'sย season- and career-high-tying four goals. Super seniorย Jake Cavanoย added a hat trick for UCLA andย junior attackerย Makoto Kenneyย scored twice.ย Seniorย Bernardo Mauriziย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering 12 saves, three steals, and one assist, while allowingย sevenย goals.ย Ryan Brosnan,ย Tommy Hawkins, andย James Oriskovich led the Gauchos with two goals apiece while former Bruinย Danny Rolandย had 14 savesย while surrendering 12ย goals to UCLA.
The Bruins also held off a pesky No. 7 UC Davis squadย for a 10-9 home win on Oct. 22. UCLA improved to 19-0ย all-time in the series history against UC Davis.ย After the Bruins led 1-0 at the end of the first period, both teams battled to a draw in the three quarters that followed. UCLA never trailed in the fourth quarter where both teams scored five goals apiece.ย The Bruins had six players score in the game, led by seniorย Tommy Gruwell'sย hat trick. Sophomoreย Chase Doddย and juniorย Makoto Kenneyย each scored twice for UCLA.ย Seniorย Bernardo Mauriziย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering six saves and three steals, while allowing nine goals.ย Aleix Aznar Beltran led the Aggies with four goals while Aaron Wilson had five savesย while surrendering 10 goals to UCLA.
CAVANO TAKING COMMAND
Super senior attacker/utility Jake Cavano is currently leading the team with 33 goals. He has scored at least one goal in 19 of 20 games in 2022 (none in the Bruins' win over Long Beach State in the MPSF Invitational on Sept. 24). His active streak of eight straight games with at least one goal is the current longest streak on the team..Has been hot as of late, scoring a total of 18 goals in that eight-game span.
KENNEY RETURNS
Junior attacker Makoto Kenney made a triumphant return to the Bruins' lineup on Oct. 8 after missing 11 games (had been unavailable since Sept. 10 due to an undisclosed illness). Kenney made his presence known, scoring the first goal of the game (1Q - 5:57) in UCLA's 17-6 home win over No. 14 UC San Diego. He also added two steals and one assist against the Tritons. He followed that outing up with two goals in the Bruins' 10-6 takedown of previously undefeated and top-rankedย Stanford on the road (Oct. 15). Last week, Kenney scored twice in each of the Bruins' wins over No. 11 UC Santa Barbara and No. 7 UC Davis. He scored the eventual game-winning goal against the Aggies with 0:30 left in the fourth quarter to put UCLA up 10-8.
LOTH NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
UCLA redshirt freshman centerย Grant Lothย (Newport Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS) has been named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office (Oct. 24). Loth scored one goalย in each of the two victories last week. His goal on his only shot in the 12-7 win over No. 11 UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 20) sparked a three-goal run which broke a 3-3 tie in the second quarter. He added a drawn exclusion against the Gauchos.ย Loth also scored on his only shot in the 10-9 win over No. 7 UC Davis (Oct. 22). His goal in the third quarter tied the game at 3-3.ย This is Loth's first career MPSF award.
DODD, GRUWELLย NAMED TO CUTINO AWARD WATCH LIST
UCLA sophomore attackerย Chase Doddย (Long Beach, Calif./Hunting Beach HS) and senior Tommy Gruwell (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic HS) have been named to the Cutino Award Watch List, as announced (Oct. 20) byย USA Water Polo and The Olympic Club in collaborationย with the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC).ย The Peter J. Cutino Award, named in honor of the late Hall of Fame coach, recognizes the best player in men's and women's college water polo.ย In an effort to help promote the college game, awareness of the honor, and the excellent play of athletes around the country, the watch list was introduced this season for the first time.
DODD, ROWE SWEEP MPSF WESTย WEEKLY AWARDS
UCLA sophomore attackerย Chase Doddย (Long Beach, Calif./Hunting Beach HS) wasย named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week and Bruin freshman attackerย Noah Roweย (North Tustin, Calif./Foothill HS) has been named the MPSF West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week as announced by the league office (Oct. 17).
Dodd scored a season- and career-high-tying four goals (on five shots) to lead the No. 3 Bruins to a 10-6 win at No. 1 Stanford (Oct. 15), which handed the Cardinal its first loss.ย Dodd also tallied two steals, drew two exclusions and one penalty shot against Stanford.ย This was Dodd's fourth career MPSFย weekly award, though first as Player of the Week (three Newcomer of the Week awards last year).
Rowe scored one goal on his only shot in the win at No. 1 Stanford (Oct. 15), but it was a big one, sparking a 6-0 scoring run by the Bruins. Trailing 4-3, Rowe fired a shot from half-tank at the buzzer just before halftime and scored off a deflection from the Stanford keeper.ย He also had two steals in the win.ย This was Rowe's first career MPSF award.
DODD NAMED UCLA STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK, PRESENTED BY READY
Sophomore attackerย Chase Doddย of the UCLA men's water polo team has been selected the UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by Ready, for Oct. 10-16. Dodd scored a season- and career-high-tying four goals on five shots to lead No. 3 UCLA to a 10-6 win at No. 1 Stanford on Oct. 15. The MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week also tallied two steals and drew two exclusions and one penalty shot against the Cardinal, who was beaten for the first time this season. Dodd opened the scoring in the second half with back-to-back goals to turn a 4-4 halftime tie to a 6-4 Bruin advantage they would not relinquish. UCLA improved to 17-1 overall and 1-0 in the MPSF with the win. This is Dodd's first UCLA student-athlete of the week award of the season and of his career.ย Also nominated:ย Nate Crockford, M. Soccer; Anna Dodson, W. Volleyball; Claire Grover, W. Swimming & Diving; Ronan McMahon-Staggs, M. Cross Country; Claire Selleck, W. Cross Country.
MAURIZI NAMED MPSF WEST/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
UCLA senior goalkeeperย Bernardo Mauriziย (Florence, Italy/Salesiani Firenze) was named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week as announced by the league office (Oct. 3).ย Mauriziย totaled 24 saves and six steals to lead UCLA to wins over No. 4 Pacific (Sept. 30) and at No. 12 Pepperdine (Oct. 2). UCLA trailed 8-3 early in the third quarter before storming back to defeat the Tigers. Maurizi had 11 saves and a season-high three steals in a 12-11 win. His last save came with 10 seconds remaining in the game to preserve the one-goal victory. The Bruins then trailed by three in the first half at Pepperdine before rallying to win, as Maurizi had a season-high 13 saves and tied his career-high of three steals.ย This was Maurizi's second career MPSF Player of the Week award, both this year.
CAVANO NAMED MPSF WEST/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UCLA super senior attacker/utilityย Jake Cavanoย (Huntington Beach, Calif./Hunting Beach HS) was named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week as announced by the league office (Sept. 19).ย Cavanoย scored seven goals through four wins over Top-20 teams at the UC Davis Aggie Roundup (Sept. 16-17). Cavano put away the game-winning goal in three of the four contests.ย He scored twice in wins over No. 10 San Jose State, No. 16 California Baptist, and No. 11 Princeton, and added one goal in the win over No. 14 Harvard.ย Cavano is the only Bruin to score at least one goal in all 10 games of the 2022 season.ย This was Cavano's second career MPSF Player of the Week award.
MAURIZI NAMED MPSF WEST/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UCLA senior goalkeeperย Bernardo Mauriziย (Florence, Italy/Salesiani Firenze) was named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week as announced by the league office (Sept. 5).ย Mauriziย registered 26 saves over the two and a half games he played to help the Bruins win the UC San Diego Invitational (Sept. 3-4). He had eight saves and two steals against No. 8 UC Santa Barbara. He played the second half in the win over No. 7 UC Davis and had seven saves, one steal, and one assist, while only allowing two goals. He then had 11 saves and three steals in the win over No. 2 USC. He had an impressive goals against average of 5.6 against three Top 10 teams this past weekend.ย This was Maurizi's first career MPSF weekly award.
UCLA PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN MPSF
Defending NCAA Champion California recorded a perfect 49 points in the 2022 MPSF Men's Water Polo Coaches' poll and was picked to win the MPSF's Western Division title. UCLA placed second with 41 points. USC came in third with 39 points while Stanford was fourth with 31 points. In the MPSF Eastern Division, Austin College was picked to win with 24 points. Washington & Jefferson was projected second with 16 points, followed by Penn State Behrend (13) and Augustana (11).
SUPER SENIORS
Super seniors Evan Rosenfeld (2021 First-Team All-American) and Jake Cavano (2021 Honorable Mention All-American) have both decided to return to Westwood for one final season. Rosenfeld, a three-time All-American and 2021 MPSF Tournament MVP, scored 13 goals as a defender a year ago. Cavano, a four-time All-American, was tied for second on the team in scoring with 31 goals last season. Rosenfeld is working towards a master's degree in the Department of Education's Transformative Coaching and Leadership.ย
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
In addition to the aforementioned Rosenfeld and Cavano, the Bruins also return two more All-Americans in Tommy Gruwell and Bernardo Maurizi. Gruwell, a three-time All-American, returns for his senior season after ranking fifth on the team in scoring with 26 goals last year. He also spent the summer with Team USA where tallied three goals at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.ย Starting senior goalie Bernardo Maurizi (9-4 last year), a two-time All-American, returns in the cage.
UCLA 2022 OUTLOOK
UCLA returns five of its top seven scorers and all three goalkeepers that saw action a year ago from the 2021 MPSF Championship team. Reserve goalkeepers junior Garret Griggs (10-0 in 2021) and redshirt junior Chase Honaker (1-0 in 2021) also return to bolster the Bruin defense.
Including the firepower from the four All-Americans, the Bruin offense looks to be very strong.ย Sophomore Chase Dodd was tied for second on the team in scoring with 31 goals and returns to UCLA after a busy summer where he tallied 13 goals at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, for Team USA. He also scored 17 goals at the 2022 FINA Intercontinental Cup in Lima, Peru and was named MVP of the gold medal match.
The Bruins also return capable offensive players in redshirt junior Jack Larsen (23 goals), redshirt sophomore Gianpiero Di Martire (19 goals), junior Makoto Kenney (14 goals), sophomore Eli Liechty (12 goals), senior Gabe Discipulo (11 goals), senior Andy Rodgers (11 goals), and redshirt junior Giorgio Alessandria (11 goals).
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The Bruins will look to replace 2020 NCAA Player of the Year and Cutino Award winner, Nicolas Saveljic (led the team with 33 goals). UCLA also lost the services of seniors Felix Brozyna-Vilim (30 goals) and Chasen Travisano (11 goals), and sophomore Tanner Pulice (17 goals).
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Arriving in Westwood this season and looking to make an immediate impact is freshmen Gray Carson (6-4, UTL, Long Beach, Calif., Woodrow Wilson HS), and Noah Rowe (6-4, ATK, North Tustin, Calif., Foothill HS).
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The Bruins ended the 2021 season with a 20-4 overall record and captured their sixth MPSF Championship in program history.
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A CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
The UCLA Bruins captured their 12th NCAA Championship in men's water polo with a 7-6 win at USCย on Mar. 21, 2021, at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The win also marked the 119th NCAA Championship for the UCLA Athletic Department. It was a balanced scoring effort by the Bruins, who received goals from six different players. Juniorย Jake Cavano, who was named to the 2020 First-Team All-NCAA Tournament,ย scored two goals, including the eventual difference maker with 6:23 left in the game. Sophomore goalkeeperย Bernardo Maurizi, who also was named First-Team All-NCAA Tournament, held the Trojans scoreless throughout the first half and racked up nine saves. UCLA never trailed in the game, though USC briefly pulled even at 4-4. Nicolas Saveljic was named the NCAA Tournament MVP.
THE WRIGHT STUFF
After guiding the Bruins to the NCAA Championship in 2020 and being named the ACWPC National Coach of the Year, Adam Wright returns for his 14th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2022 with an overall record of 315-59 (.842) and an MPSF mark of 60-23 (.723). His teams earned perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000 in 2014, 2015 and 2016 while winning the school's 112th, 113th and 114th NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Wright added the fourth NCAA Championship to his resume as a head coach in 2020 (Mar. 21, 2021) and a fourth perfect APR score in 2021. On July 20, 2017, then-UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wrightย will guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams. Wright was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame on June 20, 2019, and to the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. On March 22, 2022, UCLA Director of Athletics, Martin Jarmond, announced that Wright had signed a new six-year contract, starting in July of 2022, as the Head Coach for both of the Bruins' Men's and Women's Water Polo programs.ย
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RECAPPING 2021
Overall Record: 20-4 |ย Final Ranking: 3rd | NCAA Finish: T-3rd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 1st
The UCLA Bruins captured the 2021ย MPSFย Men's Water Polo Championship with an 11-10 win at Stanford at Averyย Aquatic Center (Nov. 21, 2021). The win marked the Bruins' sixth MPSF Championship in history while completing a season sweep of the Cardinal (3-0), extending the series winning streak to four games.
POLLING THE BRUINS
UCLA remained steady at No. 1 in this week'sย CWPAย National Men's Varsity Top 20 Poll (97 points), released on Oct. 26.
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LOS ANGELES โ No. 1 UCLA (19-1, 1-0 MPSF) hosts No. 2 Californiaย (16-1, 1-0 MPSF)ย on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 1:00 p.m. PT at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. The game will be televised live on Pac-12 Los Angeles with Greg Mescallย calling all of the exciting action. Live stats will also be available on the 6-8 Sports platform. UCLA will honor the 50th anniversary of its 1972 NCAA Championship team at halftime of the game against the Golden Bears. Then the Bruins will host their annual Alumni Game at 2:30 p.m. PT.
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
Saturday, Oct. 29 (MPSFย Gameย - Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center)
1:00 PM PT โ No. 2 California at No. 1 UCLAย | LIVE STATSย |ย WATCH
2:30 PM PT โ UCLA Alumni Game
SERIES HISTORY
UCLA is 90-74-1 all-time in the series history against California. The Golden Bears have won the last five meetings dating back to the 2020 season (that took place in early 2021). California won the last meeting, a 15-13 overtime victory at UCLAย ย in the 2021 NCAA Championship semifinals (Dec. 4). The Bruins had seven different players score in the game, paced by Jake Cavanoย and Makoto Kenney, each with three goals. Nicolas Saveljicย and Gabe Discipuloย both had two goals apiece.ย Bernardo Mauriziย got the start in the cage and went the distance, making 16 saves while surrendering 15 goals. The Golden Bears were led by Max Casabella's six goals and eight total points (two assists). UCLA's last win against the Golden Bears was a 10-7 win at Cal on Jan. 24, 2021.ย A total of seven different Bruins scored in the win. Gabe Discipuloย had a hat trick to lead the Bruins while UCLA received one goal each from Nicolas Saveljic, Evan Rosenfeld, Tommy Gruwell,ย Tanner Puliceย andย Hayden Nightingale.ย Alika Naoneย and Joe Molina led Cal with two goals apiece.
LAST WEEK IN BRUIN WATER POLO
UCLA went 2-0 last week.ย No. 1 UCLA used an eight-goal outburst in the second quarter to cruise past No. 11 UC Santa Barbara, 12-7, on Oct. 20 at home for its 16th-straight win over the Gauchos. The eight goals by the Bruins were the most in any quarter this season and more than UCLA scored in its earlier win over the Gauchos in the opening weekend (the Bruins defeated UCSB 7-6 on Sept. 3). It was also the most goals by the Bruins in any quarter since UCLA dumped nine on Penn State Behrend in the opening quarter of last year's first-round MPSF Tournament win (Nov. 19, 2021).ย Both teams battled to a 1-1 draw at the end of the first period, but then came the Bruins' offensive explosion. The Bruins had six players score in the game, led by redshirt sophomoreย Gianpiero Di Martire'sย season- and career-high-tying four goals. Super seniorย Jake Cavanoย added a hat trick for UCLA andย junior attackerย Makoto Kenneyย scored twice.ย Seniorย Bernardo Mauriziย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering 12 saves, three steals, and one assist, while allowingย sevenย goals.ย Ryan Brosnan,ย Tommy Hawkins, andย James Oriskovich led the Gauchos with two goals apiece while former Bruinย Danny Rolandย had 14 savesย while surrendering 12ย goals to UCLA.
The Bruins also held off a pesky No. 7 UC Davis squadย for a 10-9 home win on Oct. 22. UCLA improved to 19-0ย all-time in the series history against UC Davis.ย After the Bruins led 1-0 at the end of the first period, both teams battled to a draw in the three quarters that followed. UCLA never trailed in the fourth quarter where both teams scored five goals apiece.ย The Bruins had six players score in the game, led by seniorย Tommy Gruwell'sย hat trick. Sophomoreย Chase Doddย and juniorย Makoto Kenneyย each scored twice for UCLA.ย Seniorย Bernardo Mauriziย got the start in the cage and went the distance, registering six saves and three steals, while allowing nine goals.ย Aleix Aznar Beltran led the Aggies with four goals while Aaron Wilson had five savesย while surrendering 10 goals to UCLA.
CAVANO TAKING COMMAND
Super senior attacker/utility Jake Cavano is currently leading the team with 33 goals. He has scored at least one goal in 19 of 20 games in 2022 (none in the Bruins' win over Long Beach State in the MPSF Invitational on Sept. 24). His active streak of eight straight games with at least one goal is the current longest streak on the team..Has been hot as of late, scoring a total of 18 goals in that eight-game span.
KENNEY RETURNS
Junior attacker Makoto Kenney made a triumphant return to the Bruins' lineup on Oct. 8 after missing 11 games (had been unavailable since Sept. 10 due to an undisclosed illness). Kenney made his presence known, scoring the first goal of the game (1Q - 5:57) in UCLA's 17-6 home win over No. 14 UC San Diego. He also added two steals and one assist against the Tritons. He followed that outing up with two goals in the Bruins' 10-6 takedown of previously undefeated and top-rankedย Stanford on the road (Oct. 15). Last week, Kenney scored twice in each of the Bruins' wins over No. 11 UC Santa Barbara and No. 7 UC Davis. He scored the eventual game-winning goal against the Aggies with 0:30 left in the fourth quarter to put UCLA up 10-8.
LOTH NAMED MPSF/S&R SPORT NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
UCLA redshirt freshman centerย Grant Lothย (Newport Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS) has been named the MPSFย West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Weekย as announced by the league office (Oct. 24). Loth scored one goalย in each of the two victories last week. His goal on his only shot in the 12-7 win over No. 11 UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 20) sparked a three-goal run which broke a 3-3 tie in the second quarter. He added a drawn exclusion against the Gauchos.ย Loth also scored on his only shot in the 10-9 win over No. 7 UC Davis (Oct. 22). His goal in the third quarter tied the game at 3-3.ย This is Loth's first career MPSF award.
DODD, GRUWELLย NAMED TO CUTINO AWARD WATCH LIST
UCLA sophomore attackerย Chase Doddย (Long Beach, Calif./Hunting Beach HS) and senior Tommy Gruwell (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic HS) have been named to the Cutino Award Watch List, as announced (Oct. 20) byย USA Water Polo and The Olympic Club in collaborationย with the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC).ย The Peter J. Cutino Award, named in honor of the late Hall of Fame coach, recognizes the best player in men's and women's college water polo.ย In an effort to help promote the college game, awareness of the honor, and the excellent play of athletes around the country, the watch list was introduced this season for the first time.
DODD, ROWE SWEEP MPSF WESTย WEEKLY AWARDS
UCLA sophomore attackerย Chase Doddย (Long Beach, Calif./Hunting Beach HS) wasย named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week and Bruin freshman attackerย Noah Roweย (North Tustin, Calif./Foothill HS) has been named the MPSF West/S&R Sport Newcomer of the Week as announced by the league office (Oct. 17).
Dodd scored a season- and career-high-tying four goals (on five shots) to lead the No. 3 Bruins to a 10-6 win at No. 1 Stanford (Oct. 15), which handed the Cardinal its first loss.ย Dodd also tallied two steals, drew two exclusions and one penalty shot against Stanford.ย This was Dodd's fourth career MPSFย weekly award, though first as Player of the Week (three Newcomer of the Week awards last year).
Rowe scored one goal on his only shot in the win at No. 1 Stanford (Oct. 15), but it was a big one, sparking a 6-0 scoring run by the Bruins. Trailing 4-3, Rowe fired a shot from half-tank at the buzzer just before halftime and scored off a deflection from the Stanford keeper.ย He also had two steals in the win.ย This was Rowe's first career MPSF award.
DODD NAMED UCLA STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK, PRESENTED BY READY
Sophomore attackerย Chase Doddย of the UCLA men's water polo team has been selected the UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week, presented by Ready, for Oct. 10-16. Dodd scored a season- and career-high-tying four goals on five shots to lead No. 3 UCLA to a 10-6 win at No. 1 Stanford on Oct. 15. The MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week also tallied two steals and drew two exclusions and one penalty shot against the Cardinal, who was beaten for the first time this season. Dodd opened the scoring in the second half with back-to-back goals to turn a 4-4 halftime tie to a 6-4 Bruin advantage they would not relinquish. UCLA improved to 17-1 overall and 1-0 in the MPSF with the win. This is Dodd's first UCLA student-athlete of the week award of the season and of his career.ย Also nominated:ย Nate Crockford, M. Soccer; Anna Dodson, W. Volleyball; Claire Grover, W. Swimming & Diving; Ronan McMahon-Staggs, M. Cross Country; Claire Selleck, W. Cross Country.
MAURIZI NAMED MPSF WEST/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN
UCLA senior goalkeeperย Bernardo Mauriziย (Florence, Italy/Salesiani Firenze) was named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week as announced by the league office (Oct. 3).ย Mauriziย totaled 24 saves and six steals to lead UCLA to wins over No. 4 Pacific (Sept. 30) and at No. 12 Pepperdine (Oct. 2). UCLA trailed 8-3 early in the third quarter before storming back to defeat the Tigers. Maurizi had 11 saves and a season-high three steals in a 12-11 win. His last save came with 10 seconds remaining in the game to preserve the one-goal victory. The Bruins then trailed by three in the first half at Pepperdine before rallying to win, as Maurizi had a season-high 13 saves and tied his career-high of three steals.ย This was Maurizi's second career MPSF Player of the Week award, both this year.
CAVANO NAMED MPSF WEST/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UCLA super senior attacker/utilityย Jake Cavanoย (Huntington Beach, Calif./Hunting Beach HS) was named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week as announced by the league office (Sept. 19).ย Cavanoย scored seven goals through four wins over Top-20 teams at the UC Davis Aggie Roundup (Sept. 16-17). Cavano put away the game-winning goal in three of the four contests.ย He scored twice in wins over No. 10 San Jose State, No. 16 California Baptist, and No. 11 Princeton, and added one goal in the win over No. 14 Harvard.ย Cavano is the only Bruin to score at least one goal in all 10 games of the 2022 season.ย This was Cavano's second career MPSF Player of the Week award.
MAURIZI NAMED MPSF WEST/DELFINA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UCLA senior goalkeeperย Bernardo Mauriziย (Florence, Italy/Salesiani Firenze) was named the MPSFย West/Delfina Player of the Week as announced by the league office (Sept. 5).ย Mauriziย registered 26 saves over the two and a half games he played to help the Bruins win the UC San Diego Invitational (Sept. 3-4). He had eight saves and two steals against No. 8 UC Santa Barbara. He played the second half in the win over No. 7 UC Davis and had seven saves, one steal, and one assist, while only allowing two goals. He then had 11 saves and three steals in the win over No. 2 USC. He had an impressive goals against average of 5.6 against three Top 10 teams this past weekend.ย This was Maurizi's first career MPSF weekly award.
UCLA PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN MPSF
Defending NCAA Champion California recorded a perfect 49 points in the 2022 MPSF Men's Water Polo Coaches' poll and was picked to win the MPSF's Western Division title. UCLA placed second with 41 points. USC came in third with 39 points while Stanford was fourth with 31 points. In the MPSF Eastern Division, Austin College was picked to win with 24 points. Washington & Jefferson was projected second with 16 points, followed by Penn State Behrend (13) and Augustana (11).
SUPER SENIORS
Super seniors Evan Rosenfeld (2021 First-Team All-American) and Jake Cavano (2021 Honorable Mention All-American) have both decided to return to Westwood for one final season. Rosenfeld, a three-time All-American and 2021 MPSF Tournament MVP, scored 13 goals as a defender a year ago. Cavano, a four-time All-American, was tied for second on the team in scoring with 31 goals last season. Rosenfeld is working towards a master's degree in the Department of Education's Transformative Coaching and Leadership.ย
RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS
In addition to the aforementioned Rosenfeld and Cavano, the Bruins also return two more All-Americans in Tommy Gruwell and Bernardo Maurizi. Gruwell, a three-time All-American, returns for his senior season after ranking fifth on the team in scoring with 26 goals last year. He also spent the summer with Team USA where tallied three goals at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.ย Starting senior goalie Bernardo Maurizi (9-4 last year), a two-time All-American, returns in the cage.
UCLA 2022 OUTLOOK
UCLA returns five of its top seven scorers and all three goalkeepers that saw action a year ago from the 2021 MPSF Championship team. Reserve goalkeepers junior Garret Griggs (10-0 in 2021) and redshirt junior Chase Honaker (1-0 in 2021) also return to bolster the Bruin defense.
Including the firepower from the four All-Americans, the Bruin offense looks to be very strong.ย Sophomore Chase Dodd was tied for second on the team in scoring with 31 goals and returns to UCLA after a busy summer where he tallied 13 goals at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, for Team USA. He also scored 17 goals at the 2022 FINA Intercontinental Cup in Lima, Peru and was named MVP of the gold medal match.
The Bruins also return capable offensive players in redshirt junior Jack Larsen (23 goals), redshirt sophomore Gianpiero Di Martire (19 goals), junior Makoto Kenney (14 goals), sophomore Eli Liechty (12 goals), senior Gabe Discipulo (11 goals), senior Andy Rodgers (11 goals), and redshirt junior Giorgio Alessandria (11 goals).
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The Bruins will look to replace 2020 NCAA Player of the Year and Cutino Award winner, Nicolas Saveljic (led the team with 33 goals). UCLA also lost the services of seniors Felix Brozyna-Vilim (30 goals) and Chasen Travisano (11 goals), and sophomore Tanner Pulice (17 goals).
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Arriving in Westwood this season and looking to make an immediate impact is freshmen Gray Carson (6-4, UTL, Long Beach, Calif., Woodrow Wilson HS), and Noah Rowe (6-4, ATK, North Tustin, Calif., Foothill HS).
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The Bruins ended the 2021 season with a 20-4 overall record and captured their sixth MPSF Championship in program history.
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A CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
The UCLA Bruins captured their 12th NCAA Championship in men's water polo with a 7-6 win at USCย on Mar. 21, 2021, at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The win also marked the 119th NCAA Championship for the UCLA Athletic Department. It was a balanced scoring effort by the Bruins, who received goals from six different players. Juniorย Jake Cavano, who was named to the 2020 First-Team All-NCAA Tournament,ย scored two goals, including the eventual difference maker with 6:23 left in the game. Sophomore goalkeeperย Bernardo Maurizi, who also was named First-Team All-NCAA Tournament, held the Trojans scoreless throughout the first half and racked up nine saves. UCLA never trailed in the game, though USC briefly pulled even at 4-4. Nicolas Saveljic was named the NCAA Tournament MVP.
THE WRIGHT STUFF
After guiding the Bruins to the NCAA Championship in 2020 and being named the ACWPC National Coach of the Year, Adam Wright returns for his 14th season as UCLA's head men's water polo coach in 2022 with an overall record of 315-59 (.842) and an MPSF mark of 60-23 (.723). His teams earned perfect APR (Academic Progress Rate) scores of 1,000 in 2014, 2015 and 2016 while winning the school's 112th, 113th and 114th NCAA Championships in 2014, 2015 and 2017. Wright added the fourth NCAA Championship to his resume as a head coach in 2020 (Mar. 21, 2021) and a fourth perfect APR score in 2021. On July 20, 2017, then-UCLA Director of Athletics, Dan Guerrero, announced that Wrightย will guide both the UCLA men's and women's water polo teams. Wright was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame on June 20, 2019, and to the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. On March 22, 2022, UCLA Director of Athletics, Martin Jarmond, announced that Wright had signed a new six-year contract, starting in July of 2022, as the Head Coach for both of the Bruins' Men's and Women's Water Polo programs.ย
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RECAPPING 2021
Overall Record: 20-4 |ย Final Ranking: 3rd | NCAA Finish: T-3rd |ย MPSFย Tournament Finish: 1st
The UCLA Bruins captured the 2021ย MPSFย Men's Water Polo Championship with an 11-10 win at Stanford at Averyย Aquatic Center (Nov. 21, 2021). The win marked the Bruins' sixth MPSF Championship in history while completing a season sweep of the Cardinal (3-0), extending the series winning streak to four games.
POLLING THE BRUINS
UCLA remained steady at No. 1 in this week'sย CWPAย National Men's Varsity Top 20 Poll (97 points), released on Oct. 26.
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ย 2022 MEN'S VARSITY TOP 20 (WEEK 8/OCTOBER 26) |
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| ย Rank | ย Team | ย Week 7 Poll | ย Points |
| ย 1 | ย UCLA | ย 1 | ย 98 |
| ย 2 | ย California | ย 2 | ย 97 |
| ย 3 (T) | ย USC | ย 5 | ย 84 |
| ย 3 (T) | ย Pacific | ย 4 | ย 84 |
| ย 5 | ย Stanford | ย 3 | ย 78 |
| ย 6 | ย Long Beach State | ย 6 | ย 77 |
| ย 7 | ย UC Davis | ย 7 | ย 69 |
| ย 8 | ย Princeton | ย 9 (T) | ย 68 |
| ย 9 | ย Pepperdine | ย 9 (T) | ย 61 |
| ย 10 | ย UC Santa Barbara | ย 11 | ย 55 |
| ย 11 | ย UC Irvine | ย 8 | ย 54 |
| ย 12 | ย Loyola Marymount | ย 12 | ย 46 |
| ย 13 | ย UC San Diego | ย 13 | ย 41 |
| ย 14 | ย San Jose State | ย 15 | ย 33 |
| ย 15 | ย California Baptist University | ย 16 | ย 30 |
| ย 16 | ย Harvard | ย 14 | ย 29 |
| ย 17 | ย Santa Clara | ย 17 (T) | ย 20 |
| ย 18 | ย Fordham | ย 17 (T) | ย 17 |
| ย 19 | ย George Washington | ย 19 | ย 8 |
| ย 20 | ย St. Francis College Brooklyn | ย 20 | ย 7 |
| ย RV | ย Bucknell | ย RV | ย 1 |
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK/UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK/UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
CTR
/ Men's Water Polo
CTR
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
GK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
GK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
CTR
/ Men's Water Polo
CTR
/ Men's Water Polo
GK
/ Men's Water Polo
GK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
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/ Men's Water PoloUCLA Men's Water Polo Ring Reveal
Wednesday, August 27
2024 UCLA Men's Water Polo NCAA Champions
Thursday, December 12
Highlights - UCLA M. Water Polo Celebrates NCAA Title
Sunday, December 08
Highlights - UCLA M. Water Polo vs. USC, NCAA Championship (Dec. 8, 2024)
Sunday, December 08