For a program with 10 of the nation’s national championship trophies in the last 30 years, there is more than enough history to celebrate.
And the Bruins did so at halftime, honoring their 1995 and 2015 championship squads.
“We’re part of something way bigger than ourselves,” said coach Adam Wright. “We have a very special program.”
But what some may describe as a fairy-tale homecoming memory to honor a storied legacy meant nothing to UCLA’s crosstown rivals.
No. 1 UCLA (18-1, 2-1 MPSF) saw a 21-game winning streak, which dated back to 2024, snapped by No. 3 USC (15-2, 2-1) in a 13-12 thriller Saturday. The Trojans delivered the Bruins their first loss of the season at Spieker Aquatics Center – the two teams’ first contest since UCLA beat USC in the 2024 NCAA championship.
There is an argument to be made that UCLA was overdue for a tough outcome.
The Bruins play in arguably the toughest water polo conference in the country, with the four highest-ranked teams all belonging to the MPSF.
UCLA has made five appearances against MPSF rivals this season, none of whom the Bruins scored more than 15 goals against – a feat they have accomplished in all but one other match this season.
But playing the Trojans, specifically, created a unique environment – both in the pool and in the stands.
“That alone brought a lot of energy,” said sophomore attacker Ryder Dodd. “USC did a great job also adding to it, with the fans and the atmosphere. It was great. But at the end of the day, it’s your biggest opponent, so you want to beat them.”
And the special circumstances were apparent during the game and on the stat sheet.
Besides Dodd’s four goals, redshirt senior attacker Chase Dodd was the only other multigoal scorer, boasting a pair of successful shots. Saturday’s contest was the first game since Sept. 21 against then-No. 3 California in which fewer than three Bruins had multiple goals.
Juniors attacker Wade Sherlock and utility Ben Liechty combined for seven shot attempts but were held to one successful goal apiece.
A stifling Trojan defense took advantage of the Bruins in several one-on-one attacks, not allowing a goal for just over the game’s first two minutes and 20 seconds and limiting the squad to a sub-45% shot percentage. Although goalkeepers Bernardo Herzer and Charles Mills combined for just six saves, 13 UCLA turnovers led to a three-shot advantage for USC.
“There were moments when we were lacking focus,” said redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Nate Tauscher. “When it gets close in the end, it shouldn’t have been close in the first place because in the beginning we weren’t focused together. We were slipping up one-on-one.”
But both Ryder Dodd and Tauscher added that the Bruins were exploited.on the defensive end. USC’s zone attack, specifically, was a point of concern, as was UCLA’s frontcourt defense.
The defensive unit as a whole was good for just a 16.7% save percentage. On the other end, driver Mihailo Vukazic paced the Trojan offense with three goals, with drivers Robert López Duart and Efe Naipoglu notching pairs of their own.
“An accumulation of a few little moments that swayed how the game went,” Ryder Dodd said about the game’s deciding factor. “There were a few easy goals that we let in, unfortunate events that shifted the game towards their way.”
But while Tauscher held his own for 13 saves – and is second in the MPSF in save percentage – there was little support around him. The Bruins were good for just a single field block, putting pressure on the net all game, as evidenced by the Trojans’ 30 shot attempts.
A five-goal third quarter by USC was enough to clinch a two-point lead heading into the game’s final frame.
“We need to, defensively, get our hand on the ball more and put up blocks,” Tauscher said. “For myself as a goalie, get myself in a position to make more blocks.”
Wright added that the team has to give Tauscher more help.
Despite all that may have gone wrong, a two-point deficit was far from insurmountable.
The Bruins may have posted their best quarter to close the game, limiting the Trojans to just one goal.
Ryder Dodd’s final goal came within the match’s last 70 seconds, tying the game at 12 points before a goal from 2-meter defender Jack Martin reclaimed the lead 20 seconds later. While one final Ryder Dodd shot attempt was off on a power play, a closing Bruin turnover ended what could have been a last-ditch effort to even the game.
But despite the heartbreak of defeat – the team’s first in nearly a year – the Bruins are finding the silver lining in it all.
“I think it’s honestly good for us to lose,” Ryder Dodd said. “When you have a lot of success, it’s hard to remember where you came from. This experience is definitely humbling to us and will make us work even harder for the next games to come. I’m excited.”
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