Top-seeded UCLA defeated UC San Diego, 15-6, while six-time defending champion USC upset Stanford, 12-11, in sudden-death overtime in semifinal games in the NCAA National Collegiate Men’s Water Polo Championship Saturday at UC San Diego.
The Bruins (28-3) never trailed. Playing before a capacity crowd of 1,496 at the Canyonview Aquatic Center, UCLA won the opening sprint, with Paul Reynolds scoring 20 seconds into the game.
The fourth-seeded Tritons (16-10) tied the score 22 seconds later on Joe Dietrich’s goal. Bruin utility player Cristiano Mirarchi scored the final goal of the period on a power-play with 4:04 left.
Ryder Roberts scored twice in the final 34 seconds of the first half to give UCLA an 8-3 halftime lead. Anthony Daboub, Mirarchi, Chancellor Ramirez and Gordon Marshall also scored for the Bruins while Josh Stiling and Tiki Toplak scored for UCSD.
Marshall, Mirarchi, Matt Farmer and Daniel Lenhart scored in the third period for UCLA, increasing its lead to 12-4. David Higginson scored the Tritons’ lone third-period goal.
Lenhart, Reynolds, and Jack Fellner scored in the fourth period for the Bruins, while Dietrich and Matt Michalko scored for UCSD.
Bruin goalkeeper Garrett Danner made 13 saves and Stephen White one. Triton goalkeeper Cameron Ravanbach made eight saves.
“We knew they would come out strong in the beginning,” Danner said. “They started firing away right for the start. I was able to step up and get my hands on a few. Our defense was awesome the whole game.”
UCLA is 58-2 against UCSD, including 13-5 and 17-5 victories earlier this season. The Bruins have won their last 11 games against the Tritons dating back to 2006.
Kostas Genidounias scored with five seconds left in sudden death overtime to give the third-seeded Trojans (24-6) the victory over the second-seeded Cardinal (25-4).
Genidounias scored the the third of his team-high four goals with 14 seconds left in regulation, sending the game into overtime. USC re-tied the score with 10 seconds left in the second overtime on Marc Vonderweidt’s goal off Genidounias’ assist to force sudden death.
Stanford led 3-1 at the end of the first quarter and 7-5 at halftime. The score was tied 8-8 entering the fourth period.
UCLA and USC will play for the championship Sunday, while Stanford and UCSD will play in the third-place game.
Both of Sunday’s games will be streamed live on NCAA.com.
