DAVIS, Calif. – The top-ranked UCLA men’s water polo team earned a pair of top-20 wins Saturday at Schaal Aquatics Center, site of the Aggie Roundup. The Bruins beat No. 6 UC Davis 14-10 before taking down No. 19 Santa Clara 13-8.
Ryder Dodd, Luka Gladović and Ben Liechty each scored four total goals on the day to lead UCLA (5-0). The Bruins picked up two top-10 road wins in two days, previously beating No. 10 Pacific 13-10 Friday.
UC Davis (3-2) scored first in the opener and provided an answer to each of UCLA’s strikes, building a 4-2 lead after one. The lead was quickly extended to a game-high three at 7:34 of the second, but the Bruins provided an answer. Connor Colman (6:12), Frederico Jucá Carsalade (4:07) and Dodd (1:57) scored consecutively to pull level and the teams went into halftime tied 6-6.
UCLA took its first lead on Tristan Tucker’s goal at 6:33 of the third, but the Aggies responded 31 seconds later. It was all Bruins for the quarter’s final 6:02, though, as Harper Gardner kept UC Davis off the scoreboard while his team built an 11-7 lead. UCLA’s lead reached a game-high five when Liechty converted at 4:42 of the fourth. The Aggies did not get closer than three the rest of the way.
Dodd finished with a game-high four goals in the opener. Jucá Carsalade and Liechty each scored twice. Gardner spent all but the final 57 seconds in goal and piled up a career-best 10 saves.
The Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Game 2 and led 6-1 with 4:41 left in the second. Marcell Szécsi completed a hat trick during this stretch. Santa Clara answered with a pair, but Liechty sent UCLA into the break with a 7-3 lead.
Goals were alternate until Flynn Guenther converted an attempt to put the Bruins up 10-6 at the end of three. With 3:44 left, the Broncos cut their deficit to two for the first time since the game’s initial moments. UCLA closed strong, though, scoring the final three goals.
Gladović finished out his first career hat trick during the fourth quarter. Gardner (seven saves) and Griffen Price (six saves) split time in the cage.
No. 1 UCLA 14, No. 6 UC Davis 10
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 1 UCLA | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 14 |
| No. 6 UC Davis | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
6x5: UCLA 3/7, UC Davis 3/9
Penalties: UCLA 1/2, UC Davis 0/0
UCLA Goals: Dodd 4, Juca Carsalade 2, Liechty 2, Brinkema 1, Colman 1, Gladović 1, Harlan 1, Matthews 1, T. Tucker 1
UCLA Saves: Gardner 10
UC Davis Goals: Wulfhorst 3, Ruano 2, Kiesling 1, Marr 1, Petroutsas 1, Prokhin 1, Shatskikh 1
UC Davis Saves: McKeon 7, Chelsom 5
No. 1 UCLA 13, No. 19 Santa Clara 8
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| No. 1 UCLA | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| No. 19 Santa Clara | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
UCLA Goals: Gladović 3, Szécsi 3, Liechty 2, Brinkema 1, Castillo 1, Dragovic 1, Guenther 1, Merrill 1
UCLA Saves: Gardner 7, Price 6
Santa Clara Goals: De Simon 3, Baird 1, Brown 1, Hazen 1, van der Schaaf 1, Wisdom 1