USC Men’s Water Polo Takes 11-8 Loss In NCAA Championship

Men's Water Polo | December 08, 2024

STANFORD, CALIF. — The No. 2 seeded USC men's water polo team four through four tie scores and were within one goal in the fourth quarter before top-seeded UCLA netted back-to-back goals to get a leg up and pull off a final 11-8 victory over the Trojans in the NCAA championship game today in Stanford, Calif. USC had won five straight games, punching its 20th straight ticket to the NCAA tourney as MPSF Tournament champions before posting two wins in NCAA play to take its spot in today's tile match. The Trojans finish out the year with a 23-6 overall record.

It was a well-played game on both ends throughout as crosstown rivals clashed in the waters of Avery Aquatic Center for the ninth time in an NCAA championship game. The Bruins took a 2-0 lead out of the gates, but USC regrouped and scored three straight. Robert López Duart sparked the Trojan run with a 6-on-5 blast 30 seconds after UCLA had made it 2-0. After earning a power play for his Trojans, Max Miller came up with a dunk at the post off a feed from Andrej Grgurevic to level things 2-2 just before the close of the first. With momentum on their side, the Trojans capitalized again on a Miller-drawn 6-on-5, with Grgurevic hammering that one home to tug the Trojans ahead 3-2. The Bruins pulled even two minutes later, and then Carson Kranz found Tom McGuire for a ripper from the top that nudged USC back ahead 4-3. With 1:37 left in the half, UCLA equalized again, and after Bernardo Herzer snuffed the Bruins' final look, it was snarled up 4-4 for halftime. 

A Bruin power play helped UCLA to a 5-4 advantage early in the third, but the Trojans were undeterred. Kranz kept up his assist machine and found López Duart for a skipper, then later hit Grgurevic for his second of the day to take the Trojans to a 6-5 lead midway through the third. The Bruins would find two goals before the close of the frame, though, and USC was in a 7-6 hole entering the fourth. UCLA's third straight came on a power play to kick off the final frame, and then USC got one back on a rocket from Luka Brnetic — on another Kranz setup pass — to get it to a one-goal game with 6:08 to go. UCLA came up with two even scores next, however, building a three-goal advantage with 4:19 on the clock. Herzer came up with some huge saves down the stretch, and Grgurevic fed Jack Miller for a burner out of set, but that would be the last strike for the Trojans. The Bruins got an opportunistic goal late as USC was looking for a chance, and the game wrapped as an 11-8 UCLA victory.

At the end of the event, USC had three players named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team in Robert López Duart, Max Miller and Bernardo Herzer. 

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE MEN'S WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIP

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP 
[2] USC vs. [1] UCLA
Sunday, Dec. 8 | Avery Aquatic Center (Stanford, Calif.)
USC    2 - 2 - 2 - 2 = 8
UCLA  2 - 2 - 3 - 4 = 11

SCORING:
USC — Robert López Duart 2, Andrej Grgurevic 2, Max Miller, Tom McGuire, Luka Brnetic, Jack Miller.
UCLA — Jack Larsen 2, Chase Dodd 2, Ryder Dodd 2, Nico Tierney 2, Aaron Voggenthaler, Frederico Jucá Carsalade, Peter Castillo.

SAVES: Bernardo Herzer (USC) 9, Nate Tauscher (UCLA) 10. 

NOTABLE:
- With his goal today, Max Miller has scored in a team-best 27 of USC's 29 games so far this season.
- Miller finishes with 147 career goals, ranking him No. 16 all-time in career scoring at USC.
- Miller scored at least one goal in USC's last nine games.
- Carson Kranz finishes his USC career with 133 career goals, ranking him tied at No. 24 all-time in career scoring at USC.
- With two goals today, Robert López Duart finishes as USC's leader in multiple-goal outings, with 2- this season.
- With 64 goals scored this season, López Duart is one of 14 Trojans to scored 60 or more goals in a single season.