No. 1 UCLA Rallies to Victory at No. 3 USC, 10-8

Saturday, November 11

Los Angeles, CA

1:00 PM

UCLA

23-0, 7-0

USC

12-6, 1-5

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	OT	Final F
UCLA	0	2	5	1	1	1	10
Southern California	1	3	2	2	0	0	8

Rafael Real Vergara scored a game-high five goals to help the Bruins rally from three goals down.

Photo by: Marie Goldfarb

No. 1 UCLA Rallies to Victory at No. 3 USC, 10-8

November 11, 2023 | Men's Water Polo

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

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LOS ANGELES -- No. 1 UCLA (23-0, 6-0 MPSF West) erased a 4-1 deficit to post a come-from-behind double overtime win at No. 3 USC (12-6, 1-5 MPSF West), 10-8, to wrap up the 2023 regular season with a perfect record at USC's Uytengsu Aquatics Center on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins last went undefeated in the MPSF and regular season in 2015, a campaign that ended with an NCAA Championship. With its third victory over the Trojans this season, the Bruins improved to 97-90-1 all-time against USC.

The Bruins had five players score in the contest, led by five goals from senior Rafael Real Vergara, who has now scored 15 goals against the Trojans this year in the three victories. Senior Makoto Kenney led all scorers with six points, which included five assists and one goal. He also won both of his sprints to remain undefeated on the year. Senior Jack Larsen was the only other multiple goal scorer with two goals against the Trojans.

Senior Garret Griggs got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying 12 saves and two steals while surrendering eight goals.

USC won the first period, 1-0. Andrej Grgurevic scored a goal from two meters on the opening possession of the game (7:44). Then both team's defenses went to work with the Bruins only getting off three shots, including going 0-for-3 on power plays.

The Trojans won the second period, 3-2, to take a 4-2 lead into the break. Real Vergara put the Bruins on the board, converting a penalty shot that was drawn by Eli Liechty (6:32) to tie the game at 1-1. The Trojans then scored three unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead. Jack Larsen then walked into the front court and scored (0:28) to end the scoring in the second quarter with the Bruins trailing by two.

UCLA exploded for five goals to win the third quarter, 5-2, taking its first lead of the game at 7-6 heading into the fourth. Real Vergara made it 4-3 with a power play goal (6:41) that was assist by Kenney. After a goal by USC, Real Vergara struck again on a power play and another feed from Kenney (4:51) to complete his hat trick. Then freshman Wade Sherlock scored on a power play off a pass from Kenney (2:52) to tie the game at 5-5. The Trojans would regain the lead on their next possession (2:31), but nine seconds later Real Vergara scored his fourth from the front court to tie it up at 6-6. Then Frederico Jucá Carsalade set up Kenney for his only score of the game on a counter (1:54) to end the scoring in the third, handing the Bruins their first lead of the game.

The Trojans won the fourth quarter, 2-1. USC scored the first two goals of the period to take an 8-7 lead. But the Bruins called timeout with 0:20 remaining and pulled their goalie, putting Kenney in goalie cap 1A. After the Bruins' first shot attempt was denied by the Trojan defense, UCLA got possession back by forcing a ball under on the rebound and capitalized on the extra possession with a fifth goal from Real Vergara off another assist from Kenney (0:06.5). The Bruins got the last-second stop to send the game into overtime tied at 8-8.

In the first overtime period, the Bruins scored the only goal on a power play when Kenney hit Ben Larsen for his only score and the eventual game-winning goal with 0:20 left in the period. His brother, Jack Larsen, scored an insurance goal at the 1:08 mark of the second overtime period, his second goal of the contest and the last of the game.

UP NEXT: The Bruins open the postseason next week as the top seed at the 2023 MPSF Championship when they face Washington & Jefferson on Friday, Nov. 17 at 9:30 a.m. at California's Spieker Aquatics Complex.

No. 1 UCLA at No. 3 USC (MPSF Contest - Game 23)

SCOREBOARD	1	2	3	4	1OT	2OT	FINAL
No. 1 UCLA	0	2	5	1	1	1	10
No. 3 USC	1	3	2	2	0	0	8

6x5 - UCLA - 4/14 - USC - 2/9
Penalties - UCLA - 1/1 - USC - 0/0

UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 5, Jack Larsen 2, Ben Larsen 1, Wade Sherlock 1, Makoto Kenney 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 12

USC Goals: Andrej Grgurevic 2, Max Miller 2, Tony Nardelli 1, Jake Carter 1, Joshua Waldoch 1, Connor Cohen 1
USC Saves: Bernardo Herzer 11