University Southern California Trojans
Saturday, January 23
Berkeley, Calif.
2:30 PM
USC
1-0, 1-0
9
at
6
California
1-1, 1-1
1
2
3
4
F
Southern California
1
4
2
2
9
California
1
1
2
2
6
Team Stats
USC
UCLA
Shots
12
30
Goals
12
7
Assists
0
5
Points
12
12
Exclusions
7
10
Steals
0
10
Sprints
3
1
1
Wyatt Barker
6:15
Jacob Mercep
4:55
Tommy Gruwell
4:30
Nicolas Saveljic
1:50
2
Andy Rodgers
6:47
Jacob Mercep
6:26
Jack Larsen
5:18
Jake Ehrhardt
4:43
Carson Kranz
4:18
Jake Ehrhardt
3:34
Chasen Travisano
3:13
Jacob Mercep
2:10
3
Jacob Mercep
5:23
Tanner Pulice
3:26
Jacob Mercep
2:41
Jacob Mercep
1:40
4
Wyatt Barker
6:43
Tanner Pulice
6:08
Jacob Mercep
4:46
Game Leaders
Shots
7
Goals
7
Assists
0
Points
7
Shots
2
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Shots
2
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Shots
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Points
1
Players Mentioned
2M
/ Men's Water Polo2M
/ Men's Water PoloDR
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water PoloDR
/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water Polo
Photo by: Catharyn Hayne
No. 1 USC Blasts Cal and UCLA In Berkeley
January 23, 2021 | Men's Water Polo, Features
Jacob Mercep scores 10 on the day as USC tops Cal 9-6 and UCLA 12-7.
BERKELEY, CALIF. — The No. 1 USC men's water polo team rang up a decisive 2-0 start to 2021 in taking down host No. 5 California 9-6 and then powering past No. 3 UCLA 12-7 in a double day of action in Berkeley, Calif. USC newcomers Wyatt Barker and Carson Kranz both tallied their first goals as Trojans — three apiece on the day, in fact — while senior Jacob Mercep went big with a grand total of 10 today. That included a career-high seven goals plugged in against the Bruins. Goalie Nic Porter capped up in the cage for both tilts, and hauled in a combined 24 saves on the day to back up a staunch Trojan defense.
The first competition of 2021 for USC had the Trojans up against host California. While goalie Nic Porter piled up a whopping 14 saves in the game, the Trojans never trailed in the game. Jake Ehrhardt's opening goal was matched by a 5-meter penalty goal from Cal, but USC peeled out ahead on three straight goals to open the third as Jacob Mercep, Marcus Longton and Carson Kranz lifted USC ahead 4-1. Another blast from Mercep made it a 5-2 USC lead by halftime, providing the final margin of victory for the Trojans as the teams went goal-for-goal in the second half. True freshman Kranz blasted his second in the fourth, and grad transfer Wyatt Barker rattled in his first USC goal to wrap things up as a 9-6 USC victory.
The Bruins made things interesting early in answering a 2-0 start by the Trojans with three straight UCLA goals. The Bruins would go up 4-3 minutes later, only to see the Trojans wrest control from their rivals. Jake Ehrhardt sizzled in two goals, with Kranz also getting to the back to net a three-goal USC rally back ahead, up 6-4. In the third, it was all Mercep. The senior hammered home all three USC goals in the frame to bulk his count up to six and heave USC to a 10-6 lead entering the fourth. There, Barker issued his second blast against the Bruins, and Mercep would have the last word in slicing in his seventh to cap off a 12-7 USC victory over UCLA.
Mercep's career-high seven goals vs. UCLA gave him 10 on the day and lifted him to rank No. 25 all-time on USC's career scoring list with his 123 goals as a Trojan.
Tomorrow (Jan. 24), USC is lined up for road two of competition against both opponents, facing host Cal at 10:30 a.m. and then UCLA at 2:30 p.m.
#1 USC 9, #5 California 6
Jan. 23, 2021 | Berkeley, Calif.
USC 1 - 4 - 2 - 2 = 9
CAL 1 - 1 - 2 - 2 = 6
SCORING:
USC — Jacob Mercep 3, Carson Kranz 2, Jake Ehrhardt, Marcus Longton, Luke Wyatt, Wyatt Barker.
CAL —Nikolaos Papanikolaou 3, Alika Naone, Joe Molina, George Avakian.
SAVES: Nic Porter (USC) 14, Anthony Rethens (CAL) 9.
#1 USC 12, #3 UCLA 7
Jan. 23, 2021 | Berkeley, Calif.
USC 2 - 5 - 3 - 2 = 12
UCLA 2 - 3 - 1 - 1 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Jacob Mercep 7, Wyatt Barker 2, Jake Ehrhardt 2, Carson Kranz.
UCLA — Tanner Pulice 2, Tommy Gruwell, Nicolas Saveljic, Andy Rogers, Jack Larsen, Chasen Travisano.
SAVES: Nic Porter (UCLA) 10, Bernardo Maurizi (UCLA) 5.
The first competition of 2021 for USC had the Trojans up against host California. While goalie Nic Porter piled up a whopping 14 saves in the game, the Trojans never trailed in the game. Jake Ehrhardt's opening goal was matched by a 5-meter penalty goal from Cal, but USC peeled out ahead on three straight goals to open the third as Jacob Mercep, Marcus Longton and Carson Kranz lifted USC ahead 4-1. Another blast from Mercep made it a 5-2 USC lead by halftime, providing the final margin of victory for the Trojans as the teams went goal-for-goal in the second half. True freshman Kranz blasted his second in the fourth, and grad transfer Wyatt Barker rattled in his first USC goal to wrap things up as a 9-6 USC victory.
The Bruins made things interesting early in answering a 2-0 start by the Trojans with three straight UCLA goals. The Bruins would go up 4-3 minutes later, only to see the Trojans wrest control from their rivals. Jake Ehrhardt sizzled in two goals, with Kranz also getting to the back to net a three-goal USC rally back ahead, up 6-4. In the third, it was all Mercep. The senior hammered home all three USC goals in the frame to bulk his count up to six and heave USC to a 10-6 lead entering the fourth. There, Barker issued his second blast against the Bruins, and Mercep would have the last word in slicing in his seventh to cap off a 12-7 USC victory over UCLA.
Mercep's career-high seven goals vs. UCLA gave him 10 on the day and lifted him to rank No. 25 all-time on USC's career scoring list with his 123 goals as a Trojan.
Tomorrow (Jan. 24), USC is lined up for road two of competition against both opponents, facing host Cal at 10:30 a.m. and then UCLA at 2:30 p.m.
#1 USC 9, #5 California 6
Jan. 23, 2021 | Berkeley, Calif.
USC 1 - 4 - 2 - 2 = 9
CAL 1 - 1 - 2 - 2 = 6
SCORING:
USC — Jacob Mercep 3, Carson Kranz 2, Jake Ehrhardt, Marcus Longton, Luke Wyatt, Wyatt Barker.
CAL —Nikolaos Papanikolaou 3, Alika Naone, Joe Molina, George Avakian.
SAVES: Nic Porter (USC) 14, Anthony Rethens (CAL) 9.
#1 USC 12, #3 UCLA 7
Jan. 23, 2021 | Berkeley, Calif.
USC 2 - 5 - 3 - 2 = 12
UCLA 2 - 3 - 1 - 1 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Jacob Mercep 7, Wyatt Barker 2, Jake Ehrhardt 2, Carson Kranz.
UCLA — Tanner Pulice 2, Tommy Gruwell, Nicolas Saveljic, Andy Rogers, Jack Larsen, Chasen Travisano.
SAVES: Nic Porter (UCLA) 10, Bernardo Maurizi (UCLA) 5.
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