No. 1 UCLA Beats Two Ranked Teams on Sunday

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SAN DIEGO -- No. 1 UCLA (4-0, 0-0 MPSF) remained undefeated on the year with two wins on Sunday over ranked teams at the UC San Diego Triton Invitational. The Bruins kicked off the day with a 10-8 win over No. 14 California Baptist University in the morning and rallied to defeat No. 6 UC Santa Barbara 14-12 in the afternoon at UCSD's Canyonview Aquatic Center.

In the morning game against the CBU Lancers, UCLA was led by freshman attacker Chase Dodd who scored two goals. Nine different UCLA players scored with the other eight all adding one goal apiece.

The Bruins led 2-1 at the end of the first period. UCLA got one goal each from sophomore attacker Ethan Shipman (1:53) and Dodd (1:19). UCLA pitched a shutout in the second quarter but only scored twice. Redshirt senior Evan Rosenfeld scored a power play goal (5:17) and junior defender/utility Cameron Reagan found the back of the net (1:47) to put the Bruins up 4-1 at the half.

UCLA pushed the lead to 7-3 heading into the fourth quarter after winning the third, 3-2. The Bruins got a power play goal from senior attacker/utility Jake Cavano (6:36), a goal from two meters from freshman center Eli Liechty (5:41) and a second goal of the game from Dodd, who scored at the buzzer (0:01). CBU won the fourth quarter, 5-3. UCLA got a goal from two meters from senior center Felix Brozyna-Vilim (6:43), a goal from sophomore attacker Tanner Pulice (5:40) and a goal from junior attacker Andy Rodgers (4:11) that put the Bruins up comfortably at 10-4. CBU scored the last four goals of the game to provide the 10-8 final.

CBU was led by Hunter Barnett and PJ McDonough, who scored 4 goals and three goals, respectively.

In the afternoon game against the Gauchos, the Bruins were again led by Dodd who scored a hat trick. He came up big for UCLA down the stretch. UCSB led 3-2 at the end of the first period with the Bruins getting a goal from the front court by Pulice (6:28) and a power play strike from junior attacker Tommy Gruwell (3:32). The Bruins still trailed by one (7-6) at halftime with both teams scoring four goals in the second period. All four goals by the Bruins in the second frame came by way of 6-on-5 opportunities. Cavano got the first one (5:47), followed by sophomore attacker Makoto Kenney (3:35). Brozyna-Vilim's man-up goal (3:00) pulled UCLA to within one at 6-5, as did Dodd's first goal on the power play (1:03) at 7-6.

Both teams had another 4-4 draw in the third period, allowing UCSB to take an 11-10 lead into the fourth. The Gauchos seemingly had an answer every time UCLA tied the game in the third. The Bruins tied it at 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, and 10-10 in the third frame with goals from Cavano (7:17), Brozyna-Vilim (4:42), Rosenfeld (3:27), and Gruwell (0:28). Nathan Puentes scored at the buzzer for UCSB, giving the Gauchos an 11-10 lead, and a little momentum.

That momentum continued at the start of the fourth when Sam Nangle put UCSB up 12-10 with a score from two meters with 5:45 remaining. But a pair of Bruin freshmen came up big down the stretch, scoring four goals in the final 5:21 to rally for the come-from-behind win. Redshirt freshman attacker Gianpiero Di Martire scored an exclusion goal (5:21) to trim the deficit to 12-11. Then Dodd scored his second of the game, also on a power play (2:54) to tie the game at 12-12. Dodd then completed his hat trick and the eventual game-winning goal with a nice 1-on-1 move, turning his defender at five meters and then scoring on a perfectly placed lob shot to give the Bruins their first lead at 13-12 with just 2:13 remaining. It was UCLA's first lead since the 3:32 mark of the first period (2-1). Di Martire added an insurance goal from the front court (1:14) to provide the 14-12 final.

UCLA returns to action this coming week when it hosts No. 13 UC Irvine in its home opener on Friday, Sept. 10 at 5:00 p.m. PT at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center.

No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 14 California Baptist University (UCSD Triton Invitational)

6x5 - UCLA - 2/8 - CBU - 0/4
Penalties - UCLA - 0/3 - CBU - 0/0

CBU Goals: Hunter Barnett 4, PJ McDonough 3, Matt Olsen 1
CBU Saves: Tristan Felberg 9

UCLA Goals: Chase Dodd 2, Evan Rosenfeld 1, Jake Cavano 1, Andy Rodgers 1, Cameron Reagan 1, Ethan Shipman 1, Eli Liechty 1, Felix Brozyna-Vilim 1, Tanner Pulice 1
UCLA Saves: not available

No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 6 UC Santa Barbara (UCSD Triton Invitational)

6x5 - UCLA - 10/16 - UCSB - 5/9
Penalties - UCLA - 0/0 - UCSB - 1/1

UCSB Goals: Sawyer Rhodes 6, Nathan Puentes 2, Cole Brosnan 1, Sam Nangle 1, James Oriskovich 1, Henry Allen 1
UCSB Saves: not available

UCLA Goals: Chase Dodd 3, Jake Cavano 2, Gianpiero Di Martire 2, Felix Brozyna-Vilim 2, Tommy Gruwell 2, Evan Rosenfeld 1, Makoto Kenney 1, Tanner Pulice 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 8