UCLA’s men’s water polo team, ranked No. 1 in the country, is set to open its 2025 season with a series of matches this weekend. The Bruins will play their first game against No. 20 Navy on Friday, Aug. 29 at the Brian Bent Memorial Aquatics Complex in Coronado, California. On Saturday, they will participate in the Triton Invitational at UC San Diego, facing No. 14 UC Davis at 10:40 a.m. and host No. 12 UC San Diego at 5:30 p.m., both at the Canyonview Aquatic Center.
None of the games this week will be live streamed; however, live stats will be available for the matchup against UC San Diego and scoring updates can be followed on UCLA’s official Twitter(X) account.
The Bruins have an undefeated all-time record against both Navy (17-0) and UC Davis (21-0), and hold a dominant 63-1 record over UC San Diego. Last season, UCLA won all meetings against these teams.
In preseason polls for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Western Division, UCLA was picked to win after collecting nine first-place votes and returning 21 players from last year’s roster. Among those returning is Ryder Dodd, who was named ACWPC National Player of the Year and broke both conference and school freshman single-season scoring records with 102 goals in 2024. Other key returnees include All-Americans Chase Dodd, Peter Castillo, and Frederico Jucá Carsalade.
For a second consecutive year, four of five All-Americans from last season are back with UCLA: Ryder Dodd (First-Team), Chase Dodd (First-Team), Peter Castillo (Third-Team), and Frederico Jucá Carsalade (Honorable Mention). Junior utility Ben Liechty also returns as an Honorable Mention All-American from 2023. The team lost Nico Tierney as a player but added him to its coaching staff for this season.
UCLA had nine players earn Delfina All-MPSF West honors in 2024—a school record—but only five return this year. Ryder Dodd notably won several major awards last season including MPSF Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year as well as the Peter J. Cutino Award.
Five seniors who contributed significantly last year remain on the roster: redshirt seniors Chase Dodd, Trey Doten, Eli Liechty; senior utility Gray Carson; and attacker Noah Rowe.
Depth continues to be a strength for UCLA with several players expected to take on bigger roles this year including goalkeeper Nate Tauscher—who started in NCAA semifinal and final wins—alongside attackers Wade Sherlock, Ben Larsen, Vinnie Merk; defender Max Matthews; and utility Bode Brinkema.
The program also welcomes five redshirt freshmen—Alex Heenan, Joey Kent, Andrew Spencer, Nick Tovani, Harry Tucker—and five true freshmen: Harper Gardner, Jackson Harlan, Zac Miller, Hayden O’Hare, Santino Rossi.
UCLA secured its 13th NCAA men’s water polo championship by defeating USC on Dec. 8, 2024 at Stanford’s Avery Aquatic Center. It was head coach Adam Wright’s fifth national title leading the men’s team—all against USC—and his ninth overall including achievements as a player and coach for both men’s and women’s programs.
Adam Wright returns for his seventeenth season with an overall coaching record of 370-68 (.845). His teams have achieved perfect Academic Progress Rate scores multiple times while winning several NCAA titles since he took over both men’s and women’s programs in July 2017.
Last season saw UCLA finish with a nation-best record of 26-2 (.929), capturing its thirteenth NCAA title after victories over Salem State University in the opening round and Stanford in the semifinals before defeating USC in the final match.
During recent international competitions:
– Four Bruins represented Team USA at the U20 World Championship where they helped secure silver—the best finish ever for any USA Men’s National Team age group—with Ryder Dodd named tournament MVP.
– Three active players participated on Team USA’s roster that finished eighth at World Aquatics Championships.
– At the FISU World University Games representing Team USA (without several top Bruins), UCLA earned silver—matching its highest historical finish.
– Harry Tucker competed for Australia at U20 Worlds finishing fourth among scorers with ten goals.
Entering this season atop the Collegiate Water Polo Association preseason poll released August 20—with a full score of 100 points—UCLA looks to continue its strong tradition within collegiate water polo competition.
