USC Men's Water Polo Falls to UCLA in Heartbreaking NCAA Final

Sunday, December 7

Stanford, Calif.

3 p.m.

USC

23-4

UCLA

27-2

UCLA (M)

USC (M)

USC team huddles up before a game at Uytengsu Aquatics Center

Photo by: Katie Chin

USC Men's Water Polo Falls to UCLA in Heartbreaking NCAA Final

December 07, 2025 | Men's Water Polo

Box Score

STANFORD, Calif. – The season came to a heartbreaking end for the USC men's water polo team on Sunday as the Trojans lost 11-10 to UCLA on a last-second goal in the NCAA National Championship game.

USC led for most of the second half, but UCLA came back to tie it up down the stretch and then scored a buzzer-beating goal to win it. It was the fourth time this season that the two crosstown rivals have met, with the season series tied 2-2.

USC battled back from an early deficit after falling behind 3-1 in the opening quarter, putting up five goals in the second period to take a 6-4 lead into the break. After giving up a goal at the 6:05 mark in the second quarter, the Trojans scored four unanswered goals to close out the half.

The teams traded goals in the third and UCLA had a chance to tie it up with a shot near the end of the period, but Charles Mills came up with his seventh save of the afternoon to keep USC in front.

UCLA scored back-to-back goals to take the lead with 2:35 left in the fourth quarter, only for USC's Jack Martin to tie it back up with 2:03 left. It would be Frederico Jucá Carsalade who scored the winning goal in the final seconds for UCLA, getting the assist from Ryder Dodd.

Jack Vort was 3-for-3 on shot attempts to lead the Trojans and Robert Lopez Duart had three assists.

USC finishes the season 23-4. The Trojans won their fourth straight MPSF Tournament title this season and made their fifth NCAA title game in the last six years.