Sunday, December 7
Stanford, Calif.
3:00 PM (PT)
UCLA
27-2
11
vs
10
USC
23-4
1
2
3
4
OT
OT
SD
SD
SD
SD
SD
F
UCLA (M)
3
1
3
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
11
USC (M)
1
5
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
10
No. 2 UCLA defeated No. 1 USC 11-10 on buzzer-beating goal by Frederico Jucá Carsalade.
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
Men's Water Polo Wins NCAA Title No. 125 in Instant Classic
December 07, 2025 | Men's Water Polo
STANFORD, Calif. – The second-seeded UCLA men's water polo team (27-2) recorded a buzzer-beating 11-10 victory against No. 1 USC (23-4) Sunday afternoon at Avery Aquatic Center, earning its second NCAA championship in as many years and No. 125 in UCLA athletic department history. UCLA men's water polo has won 14 of those titles and repeated as champions five times.
Head coach and UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer Adam Wright has now won 10 NCAA championships with the Bruins. He has been head coach of the men's water polo program for six of them (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2024 and 2025) – all versus USC – and a player for two more (1999, 2000). Wright has also won one at the helm of the women's water polo program (2024) and another as an assistant for the women's team (2009).
Frederico Jucá Carsalade scored the difference-making goal, his second of the game, as time expired. Ryder Dodd led UCLA with three goals. Bode Brinkema and Chase Dodd also logged two apiece. Nate Tauscher had eight saves in the cage. Jucá Carsalade's efforts earned him Outstanding Player of the tournament and he was joined on the All-Tournament team by the Dodd brothers.
The Bruins improved to 2-2 on the year opposite the Trojans, running their overall series record to 103-94-1. Seven of UCLA's NCAA championships have been collected in wins against its crosstown rival.
Jack Vort had a hat trick to lead USC. Stefan Brankovic and Efe Naipoglu netted two goals each. Charles Mills registered seven saves.
Chase Dodd scored on the game's first possession to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Brankovic answered in the subsequent minute to pull his team level, but Brinkema put UCLA back in front with 5:05 left. Each side would endure a scoreless spell until Chase Dodd took advantage of a 6-on-5 opportunity to put the Bruins up 3-1 with 23 seconds to go.
Ryder Dodd countered a Brankovic power-play goal with one of his own to start the second, but the quarter proved all Trojans otherwise. Two scores by Vort and one each by Naipoglu and Robert López Duart sent USC into halftime in possession of a 6-4 advantage.
Brinkema's second goal of the game started matters in the third, cutting the Bruins' deficit in half. The teams traded conversions throughout the frame, with UCLA finding the net last to make the Trojans' lead 8-7 going into the fourth. Bruins Wade Sherlock and Jucá Carsalade each scored for the first time, while Vort recorded his third and Naipoglu collected his second for USC.
A wild fourth quarter started with UCLA pulling even for the first time in the second half, as Eli Liechty recorded a 6-on-5 goal. The Trojans went back on top thanks to Mihailo Vukazic's score just shy of the midway point. Ryder Dodd then powered the Bruins back in front, making a penalty shot (3:26) before adding the go-ahead effort (2:35). USC's Jack Martin tied the score once more (2:03), but Jucá Carsalade provided the heroics with no time to spare.
No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 1 USC (NCAA Championship - Final - Game 29)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 2 UCLA | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| No. 1 USC | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
6x5 - UCLA - 4/9 - USC - 6/10
Penalties - UCLA - 1/1 - USC - 0/0
UCLA Goals: Ryder Dodd 3, Bode Brinkema 2, Chase Dodd 2, Frederico Jucá Carsalade 2, Wade Sherlock 1, Ben Liechty 1
UCLA Saves: Nate Tauscher 8
USC Goals: Jack Vort 3, Stefan Brankovic 2, Efe Naipoglu 2, Robert López Duart 1, Jack Martin 1, Mihailo Vukazic 1
USC Saves: Charles Mills 7
Team Stats
UCL
USC
Shots
22
25
Goals
11
10
Assists
8
11
Points
19
21
Exclusions
10
9
Steals
12
7
Sprints
1
3
1
Chase Dodd
07:34
Stefan Brankovic
06:15
Bode Brinkema
05:05
Chase Dodd
00:23
2
Stefan Brankovic
07:28
Ryder Dodd
06:05
Jack Vort
04:41
Efe Naipoglu
02:34
Jack Vort
01:57
Robert Lopez Duart
00:54
3
Bode Brinkema
07:10
Jack Vort
04:05
Wade Sherlock
03:10
Efe Naipoglu
02:24
Frederico Juca Carsalade
00:31
4
Ben Liechty
06:44
Mihailo Vukazic
05:52
Ryder Dodd
03:26
Ryder Dodd
02:35
Jack Martin
02:03
Frederico Juca Carsalade
00:01
Game Leaders
Shots
4
Goals
3
Assists
2
Points
5
Shots
3
Goals
2
Assists
2
Points
4
Shots
3
Goals
2
Assists
1
Points
3
Shots
3
Goals
1
Assists
1
Points
2
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
CTR
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water Polo
GK
/ Men's Water PoloCinematic Recap - UCLA M. Water Polo Wins NCAA Championship (Dec. 7, 2025)
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