Anteaters Rally, Come Up Just Short Against No. 1 UCLA

Friday, September 11

Irvine, Calif.

2 P.M.

UC Irvine

7-2

UCLA

6-0

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
UCLA	5	4	3	4	16
UC Irvine	3	1	5	5	14

Photo by: Jake Hamlin

Anteaters Rally, Come Up Just Short Against No. 1 UCLA

September 11, 2026 | Men's Water Polo

Box Score

By: Leah Fitzpatrick

IRVINE, Calif. – No. 13 UC Irvine men's water polo battled the nation's top-ranked team, No. 1 UCLA, in a hard-fought contest Friday afternoon at the Anteater Aquatics Complex, ultimately falling to the Bruins, 16-14.

The 'Eaters and Bruins traded blows throughout the opening frame, with UCLA ultimately taking a 5-3 lead into the first intermission. The Bruins extended their advantage in the second, holding UCI to just one goal while adding four of their own to take a 9-4 lead into halftime. The Anteaters responded with a strong second half, outscoring UCLA in each of the final two periods. UCI found the back of the net five times in the third while limiting the Bruins to three goals, trimming the deficit to three, 12-9, heading into the fourth. The 'Eaters continued their late push in the final frame, scoring five goals while allowing four, but couldn't complete the comeback. UCI ultimately fell to the Bruins, 16-14, after a valiant second-half effort.

BY THE NUMBERS: Junior Johann Thrall led the 'Eaters with five points on a hat trick and two assists.

Brody Luke (one goal, two assists), Ben Atkinson (two goals, one assist), and Gage Verdegaal (one goal, two assists) each recorded three point nights.

Alex Lopez added two goals while Wyley Dale, Cole Francisco, Maddox McEwen, Charlie Jones, and Jayson Hubbard each netted one.

Vincent Vega recorded 10 saves in net for the 'Eaters

Ryder Dodd paced the Bruins with four goals.

HOW IT HAPPENED: The Bruins struck first at the 6:58 mark, capitalizing on the man advantage to take an early 1-0 lead. UCI quickly responded, as Ethan Spoon drew an exclusion that led to a power-play goal from Cole Francisco, assisted by Johann Thrall, to even the score at 6:14. Just 48 seconds later, Alex Lopez put the Anteaters ahead 2-1 with help from Thrall. UCLA answered at the 5:13 mark, converting on a five-meter penalty shot to bring the game level at 2-2. Thrall then drew an exclusion and converted on the ensuing power play, with Brody Luke providing the assist, giving UCI a 3-2 advantage with 4:55 remaining in the frame. The Bruins responded with three unanswered goals to close out the period, scoring at the 4:14 and 1:57 marks before adding another power-play goal with 31 seconds remaining to take a 5-3 lead into the second period.

The Bruins continued to build their lead in the second period, holding the Anteaters to just one goal while adding four of their own to take a 9-4 advantage into halftime. UCLA's first three goals of the frame came on the power play, finding the back of the net at the 7:28, 5:38 and 2:32 marks. Charlie Jones provided UCI's lone goal of the period at the 1:51 mark, trimming the deficit to 8-4. UCLA answered once more, scoring with 1:21 remaining to cap the scoring in the first half and send the Bruins into the break with a five-goal lead.

The 'Eaters mounted a late push in the third period, outscoring the Bruins 5-3 to cut the deficit to three heading into the final frame. UCI opened the scoring when Ethan Spoon drew an exclusion, setting up Johann Thrall for a power-play goal at the 5:25 mark. UCLA answered shortly after, capitalizing on a five-meter attempt at 5:08 to maintain its five-goal advantage, 10-5. The 'Eaters continued to chip away, as Jayson Hubbard found the back of the net at the 4:07 mark off an assist from Wyley Dale to bring UCI within four, 10-6. UCLA responded with a power-play goal at 3:39, but the 'Eaters answered just 15 seconds later when Dale converted on the man advantage, assisted by Hubbard, to make it 11-7. The Bruins added another goal at the 2:17 mark, but UCI refused to let up. Spoon drew another exclusion, setting up Ben Atkinson for a power-play goal at 1:38, with Gage Verdegaal providing the assist. With the 'Eaters continuing to apply pressure, Spoon drew yet another exclusion, and Alex Lopez capitalized on the ensuing power play with just 17 seconds remaining, again assisted by Verdegaal. The late surge pulled UCI within three, 12-9, heading into the fourth period.

UCI continued its late push in the fourth period, outscoring the Bruins 5-4, but ultimately couldn't complete the comeback against the nation's No. 1 team. UCLA opened the frame with a goal at the 7:00 mark to extend its lead to 13-9, but the 'Eaters quickly answered. Ben Atkinson found the back of the net just 21 seconds later, with Jayson Hubbard providing the assist, to pull UCI within three, 13-10. The Bruins responded with a power-play goal at the 6:00 mark to restore their four-goal advantage, 14-10. UCI continued to battle, however, as River Davis drew an exclusion that set up Johann Thrall for a man-up goal at 4:53, assisted by Brody Luke. Maddox McEwen then delivered another big goal at the 3:46 mark, once again with an assist from Luke, cutting the deficit to two, 14-12. UCLA answered with a goal at 3:21 to make it 15-12, but the 'Eaters refused to go away. Spoon drew an exclusion, setting up Luke for a power-play goal at 2:37, with Cole Francisco providing the assist. The goal gave Luke his third point of the period and brought UCI within two, 15-13. The Bruins added another goal at the 2:05 mark to push their lead back to three, 16-13. With time winding down, UCLA attempted to extend its lead with a 7-on-6 attack, but the 'Eaters forced a turnover. UCI capitalized on the opportunity, as Gage Verdegaal fired the ball into the empty net from across the pool with 58 seconds remaining to make it 16-14. Despite a strong second-half effort and a relentless push in the final two periods, the 'Eaters couldn't complete the comeback against the nation's No. 1 team, falling to UCLA, 16-14.

UP NEXT: The 'Eaters travel to Los Angeles to face No. 2 USC, tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m.