UCLA rallies in final second to beat USC for men’s water polo title
Frederico Jucá Carsalade points in excitement during UCLA’s win over USC in the the men’s water polo championship on Sunday at the Avery Aquatic Center in Stanford, CA on Friday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Ross Turteltaub, UCLA Athletics)
STANFORD, Calif. — Frederico Jucá Carsalade scored with one second remaining to cap a four-goal fourth quarter, and UCLA rallied to beat USC 11-10 to win the men’s water polo championship on Sunday at the Avery Aquatic Center.
It was the 14th championship for the second-seeded and defending champion Bruins (27-2), winning back-to-back titles for the fifth time.
USC (23-4), the top seed, was aiming for its 11th title — all since 1998 — in a tournament that began in 1969. The Trojans won six in a row from 2008-13.
Chase Dodd scored twice to help UCLA to a 3-1 lead after the first quarter.
Stefan Branovic added his second goal to cut it to 3-2 and Jack Vort scored twice in a four-goal run over the final 4:41 to give the Trojans a 6-4 lead at halftime.
USC twice took two-goal leads in the third quarter on scores by Vort and Efe Naipoglu, but Jucá Carsalade scored with 31 seconds left to make it 8-7.
Ryder Dodd scored back-to-back goals — the first after a penalty on Vort — and the Bruins led 10-9 with 2:35 remaining. Jack Martin scored with a man advantage for USC to tie it 32 seconds later.
The two teams split four matches this season.
UCLA beat Stanford 9-7 in the semifinals and USC beat Fordham 16-7 to advance.
UCLA beat USC 11-8 to win the championship last season after California beat the Bruins 13-11 in the title game the year before. Cal beat USC 13-12 in 2021 and 2022 to win the championship.
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