Saturday, November 18
Berkeley, Calif.
1:00 PM
USC
14-6
13
vs
9
UCLA
24-1
1
2
3
4
F
Southern California
3
5
3
2
13
UCLA
2
2
2
3
9
Team Stats
USC
UCLA
Shots
35
26
Goals
13
9
Assists
8
7
Points
21
16
Exclusions
9
6
Steals
11
5
Sprints
3
1
1
Luka Brnetic
7:37
Luka Brnetic
5:59
Eli Liechty
3:56
Jake Carter
3:32
Team
1:18
2
Max Miller
7:03
Tony Nardelli
5:27
Team
3:56
Carson Kranz
3:32
Massimo Di Martire
2:38
Joshua Waldoch
1:46
Rafael Real Vergara
0:09
3
Andrej Grgurevic
7:30
Rafael Real Vergara
4:55
Max Miller
2:29
Team
1:03
Zach Bettino
0:36
4
Luka Brnetic
1:58
Rafael Real Vergara
1:43
Giorgio Alessandria
1:06
Tom McGuire
0:40
Team
0:26
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
6
Goals
3
Assists
1
Points
4
Shots
6
Goals
1
Assists
0
Points
1
Shots
5
Goals
1
Assists
0
Points
1
Shots
3
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Players Mentioned
DR
/ Men's Water Polo2M
/ Men's Water Polo
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/ Men's Water PoloD
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
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/ Men's Water PoloDR
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water Polo2M
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water PoloPhoto by: Stewart McGuire
No. 3 USC Men’s Water Polo Makes Semifinal Statement With 13-9 Win Over No. 1 UCLA
November 18, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
Trojans break up the Bruins’ undefeated season and take a place in tomorrow’s MPSF title match in Berkeley.
BERKELEY, CALIF. — The No. 3 USC men's water polo team never trailed en route to serving up No. 1 UCLA its first loss of the season, taking down the Bruins 13-9 in today's MPSF semifinal game in Berkeley, Calif. The Trojans took control in the second period, turning a one-goal game into a five-goal USC advantage and keep the Bruins at bay the rest of the way to punch a ticket to tomorrow's 3 p.m. MPSF Championship game against host Cal.
Luka Brnetic set the Trojans on course with back-to-back blasts out of the gates. The Bruins broke through on a 6-on-5 opportunity next, only to see Jake Carter sizzle in a score for the Trojan cause. UCLA was granted a 5-meter penalty shot later in the first, finishing it off to get one back at 3-2. But again, USC would open the next frame with back-to-back goals. Max Miller delivered on a power play first, and then Tony Nardelli pounced on a rebound and hammered it home to take the Trojans ahead 5-2. UCLA followed with another 6-on-5 score, and, undeterred, the Trojans rattled off a three-goal surge next on strikes from Carson Kranz, Massimo Di Martire and Joshua Waldoch to craft an 8-3 USC advantage. One more UCLA power play netted one for the Bruins before the break, and it was 8-4 USC at halftime.
USC stayed steady and in control from there, with Andrej Grgurevic and Zach Bettino joining the scoresheet in the third while Miller tacked up his second. USC carried an 11-6 lead into the fourth, which lapsed into a stalemate until UCLA opted to set up on a stretch of 7-on-6 scenarios. USC goalie Bernardo Herzer put a stop to one of those tries, and the Bruins misfired on two more before Brnetic built out a six-goal lead for USC, striking with an opportunistic goal to go up 12-6 with 1:58 to go. UCLA got a few late goals, but USC's position was clear, and Tom McGuire knocked in USC's 13th goal of the day in help close things down as a 13-9 USC victory in Berkeley.
NEXT: USC takes on host Cal at 3 p.m. tomorrow (Nov. 19) to fight for the MPSF Tournament title and an automatic berth in the coming NCAA Tournament, which USC is hosting Dec. 1-3.
NOTABLE:
- With a team-high three goals today, JR Luka Brnetic matched his career high.
- With two goals today, SR Max Miller continues to lead USC in scoring, now with 36 goals this season.
- Miller also leads the team with 13 multiple-goal games this year.
- USC's four-goal margin of victory was the largest vs. the Bruins since a 9-4 win in 2020.
- This was UCLA's first loss of the season, now 24-1 overall.
- USC is now 79-70-1 all-time against UCLA since 1979.
2023 MPSF TOURNAMENT
SEMIFINAL
#3 USC 13, #1 UCLA 9
Nov. 18, 2023 | Spieker Aquatics Complex (Berkeley, Calif.)
USC 3 - 5 - 3 - 2 = 13
UCLA 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 = 9
SCORING:
USC —Luka Brnetic 3, Max Miller 2, Jake Carter, Carson Kranz, Tom McGuire, Joshua Waldoch, Massimo Di Martire, Tony Nardelli, Andrej Grgurevic, Zach Bettino.
UCLA — Frederico Jucá Carsalade 4, Rafael Real Vergara 3, Eli Liechty, Giorgio Alessandria.
SAVES: Bernardo Herzer (USC) 7, Garret Griggs (UCLA) 13.
Luka Brnetic set the Trojans on course with back-to-back blasts out of the gates. The Bruins broke through on a 6-on-5 opportunity next, only to see Jake Carter sizzle in a score for the Trojan cause. UCLA was granted a 5-meter penalty shot later in the first, finishing it off to get one back at 3-2. But again, USC would open the next frame with back-to-back goals. Max Miller delivered on a power play first, and then Tony Nardelli pounced on a rebound and hammered it home to take the Trojans ahead 5-2. UCLA followed with another 6-on-5 score, and, undeterred, the Trojans rattled off a three-goal surge next on strikes from Carson Kranz, Massimo Di Martire and Joshua Waldoch to craft an 8-3 USC advantage. One more UCLA power play netted one for the Bruins before the break, and it was 8-4 USC at halftime.
USC stayed steady and in control from there, with Andrej Grgurevic and Zach Bettino joining the scoresheet in the third while Miller tacked up his second. USC carried an 11-6 lead into the fourth, which lapsed into a stalemate until UCLA opted to set up on a stretch of 7-on-6 scenarios. USC goalie Bernardo Herzer put a stop to one of those tries, and the Bruins misfired on two more before Brnetic built out a six-goal lead for USC, striking with an opportunistic goal to go up 12-6 with 1:58 to go. UCLA got a few late goals, but USC's position was clear, and Tom McGuire knocked in USC's 13th goal of the day in help close things down as a 13-9 USC victory in Berkeley.
NEXT: USC takes on host Cal at 3 p.m. tomorrow (Nov. 19) to fight for the MPSF Tournament title and an automatic berth in the coming NCAA Tournament, which USC is hosting Dec. 1-3.
NOTABLE:
- With a team-high three goals today, JR Luka Brnetic matched his career high.
- With two goals today, SR Max Miller continues to lead USC in scoring, now with 36 goals this season.
- Miller also leads the team with 13 multiple-goal games this year.
- USC's four-goal margin of victory was the largest vs. the Bruins since a 9-4 win in 2020.
- This was UCLA's first loss of the season, now 24-1 overall.
- USC is now 79-70-1 all-time against UCLA since 1979.
2023 MPSF TOURNAMENT
SEMIFINAL
#3 USC 13, #1 UCLA 9
Nov. 18, 2023 | Spieker Aquatics Complex (Berkeley, Calif.)
USC 3 - 5 - 3 - 2 = 13
UCLA 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 = 9
SCORING:
USC —Luka Brnetic 3, Max Miller 2, Jake Carter, Carson Kranz, Tom McGuire, Joshua Waldoch, Massimo Di Martire, Tony Nardelli, Andrej Grgurevic, Zach Bettino.
UCLA — Frederico Jucá Carsalade 4, Rafael Real Vergara 3, Eli Liechty, Giorgio Alessandria.
SAVES: Bernardo Herzer (USC) 7, Garret Griggs (UCLA) 13.
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Saturday, November 18
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