University Southern California Trojans
Saturday, December 1
Stanford, CA
5:00 PM
USC
8
vs
7
UCLA
Players Mentioned
DR
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water PoloPhoto by: Catharyn Hayne
USC Beats UCLA To Punch Ticket To 14th Consecutive NCAA Final
December 01, 2018 | Men's Water Polo, Features
Trojans score with five seconds left for an 8-7 win in the NCAA semifinals.
PALO ALTO, CALIF. — The USC men's water polo team never led in the first half but remained resolute in its pursuit of a ticket to the program's 14th consecutive NCAA final. With the game tied up for the fourth time, the Trojans buckled down on defense and netted the go-ahead goal with five seconds left, then held their ground again to lock up a 8-7 win over UCLA in tonight's National Collegiate semifinal in Palo Alto. Sam Slobodien's game-winner sends USC on through to tomorrow's title match against host Stanford at 3 p.m., where the Trojans take aim at nabbing a 10th national championship. USC improves to 29-3 overall with tonight's semifinal victory.
A hot-handed Hannes Daube stepped up and delivered a hat trick, while five other Trojans also hit the back of the net to pile up the winning total. In the cage, goalie Nic Porter made seven saves — every one of them clutch.
The Bruins struck first with a 6-on-5 score out of the gates, but both teams' defenses stiffened from there. In the final minute of the first, Daube ripped in a goal off the foul, and it was locked up 1-1. In the second, it was the UCLA offense that heated up first once again. USC would find itself in a two-goal hole on two occasions. The first time, Zach D'Sa found Daube for a blast that tugged the Trojans within one at 3-2. UCLA fired back, and then a smooth USC series saw Marko Vavic hit Jacob Mercep, who set up Matt Maier for a blast at the post, and it was 4-3 UCLA. Not 20 seconds later, Sawyer Rhodes nabbed a steal, and USC was up on a power play. Rhodes popped it to Daube, who sent it back to Rhodes, and he'd send in a searing qualifier to knot it at 4-4. That draw would hold until halftime thanks to defensive stop by the Trojans on a late UCLA 6-on-5 chance.
In the third, the Trojans defense forced a Bruin shotclock violation, and later Porter came up with two incredible stops against point-blank chances for UCLA. That helped set up the go-ahead move for the Trojans, who netted their third straight goal and took their first lead of the game when Mercep fed D'Sa for a rocket that nudged USC ahead 5-4 with 2:45 on the clock. This time, UCLA found the equalizer, and after two more enormous saves from Porter it was snarled up 5-5 entering the fourth.
Slobodien got the Trojans up on a 6-on-5 two minutes into the fourth, and Rhodes found Mercep for a laser and a 6-5 USC lead. UCLA would wrap 6-on-5 finishes of its own around Daube's third of the day — a shot tucked into the top corner — and it was 7-7 with 2:21 to go. The USC defense would set its jaws, and Porter made yet another key save with 1:38 on the clock. A minute later, after a near miss on a power play, USC's defense forced another UCLA shotclock violation. With 22 ticks to go, USC called timeout. On the ensuing possession, D'Sa slipped the ball to Slobodien, who muscled in a slider that skidded through for an 8-7 USC advantage with five seconds on the clock. USC's defense would hold, and the Trojans had secured their 14th consecutive trip to an NCAA final.
In the program's 33rd all-time NCAA appearance, USC is through to the final yet again and seeking a 10th national championship and first since 2013 when the Trojans face host Stanford tomorrow (Dec. 2) at 3 p.m.
2018 NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS (Palo Alto, Calif.)
SEMIFINAL
[2] USC 8, [3] UCLA 7
Dec. 1, 2018 - Avery Aquatic Center (Palo Alto, Calif.)
USC 1 - 3 - 1 - 3 = 8
UCLA 1 - 3 - 1 - 2 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Hannes Daube 3, Matt Maier, Sawyer Rhodes, Zach D'Sa, Jacob Mercep, Sam Slobodien.
UCLA — Jake Cavano 3, David Stiling, Austin Rone, Warren Snyder, Chasen Travisano.
SAVES: Nic Porter (USC) 7, Alex Wolf (UCLA) 13.
A hot-handed Hannes Daube stepped up and delivered a hat trick, while five other Trojans also hit the back of the net to pile up the winning total. In the cage, goalie Nic Porter made seven saves — every one of them clutch.
The Bruins struck first with a 6-on-5 score out of the gates, but both teams' defenses stiffened from there. In the final minute of the first, Daube ripped in a goal off the foul, and it was locked up 1-1. In the second, it was the UCLA offense that heated up first once again. USC would find itself in a two-goal hole on two occasions. The first time, Zach D'Sa found Daube for a blast that tugged the Trojans within one at 3-2. UCLA fired back, and then a smooth USC series saw Marko Vavic hit Jacob Mercep, who set up Matt Maier for a blast at the post, and it was 4-3 UCLA. Not 20 seconds later, Sawyer Rhodes nabbed a steal, and USC was up on a power play. Rhodes popped it to Daube, who sent it back to Rhodes, and he'd send in a searing qualifier to knot it at 4-4. That draw would hold until halftime thanks to defensive stop by the Trojans on a late UCLA 6-on-5 chance.
In the third, the Trojans defense forced a Bruin shotclock violation, and later Porter came up with two incredible stops against point-blank chances for UCLA. That helped set up the go-ahead move for the Trojans, who netted their third straight goal and took their first lead of the game when Mercep fed D'Sa for a rocket that nudged USC ahead 5-4 with 2:45 on the clock. This time, UCLA found the equalizer, and after two more enormous saves from Porter it was snarled up 5-5 entering the fourth.
Slobodien got the Trojans up on a 6-on-5 two minutes into the fourth, and Rhodes found Mercep for a laser and a 6-5 USC lead. UCLA would wrap 6-on-5 finishes of its own around Daube's third of the day — a shot tucked into the top corner — and it was 7-7 with 2:21 to go. The USC defense would set its jaws, and Porter made yet another key save with 1:38 on the clock. A minute later, after a near miss on a power play, USC's defense forced another UCLA shotclock violation. With 22 ticks to go, USC called timeout. On the ensuing possession, D'Sa slipped the ball to Slobodien, who muscled in a slider that skidded through for an 8-7 USC advantage with five seconds on the clock. USC's defense would hold, and the Trojans had secured their 14th consecutive trip to an NCAA final.
In the program's 33rd all-time NCAA appearance, USC is through to the final yet again and seeking a 10th national championship and first since 2013 when the Trojans face host Stanford tomorrow (Dec. 2) at 3 p.m.
2018 NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS (Palo Alto, Calif.)
SEMIFINAL
[2] USC 8, [3] UCLA 7
Dec. 1, 2018 - Avery Aquatic Center (Palo Alto, Calif.)
USC 1 - 3 - 1 - 3 = 8
UCLA 1 - 3 - 1 - 2 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Hannes Daube 3, Matt Maier, Sawyer Rhodes, Zach D'Sa, Jacob Mercep, Sam Slobodien.
UCLA — Jake Cavano 3, David Stiling, Austin Rone, Warren Snyder, Chasen Travisano.
SAVES: Nic Porter (USC) 7, Alex Wolf (UCLA) 13.
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