Trojans fall in last-second loss to UCLA


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The No. 3 Trojans fell to crosstown rival No. 2 UCLA 14-13 in a nail-biting conference final over the weekend, marking their third loss to the Bruins this season. The contest went into overtime after the Bruins snuck in a goal with three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and in the final moments of overtime play UCLA struck again to take the win. 

After dominating Stanford last weekend, USC entered Spieker Aquatics Center, feeling confident in enemy waters. Trojan fans packed the stands, breaking up the blue and yellow with cardinal and gold. But skillset and support weren’t what decided this game  — it was time. 

“It’s always a big game against UCLA… especially on their senior day you want to take it from them at their own house,” said freshman utility Andrej Grgurevic. “Before the game you’re really pumped up to play them – it’s a full crowd, the bands playing – you really want to get in and play and it’s just a different mindset.” 

Across all four quarters, USC and UCLA tied nine times – proving how even the competition was the entire game. The Trojans moved swiftly between catching up and pulling ahead for the entire game, and graduate student driver Massimo Di Martire was a key part of USC’s success. With four goals, DiMartire brought his season total up to 50 goals for his first season. The last time over 50 goals were scored in one season was with Jacob Mercep in 2019, where he scored 51. 

Alongside Di Martire in lead scoring was redshirt sophomore utility Joshua Waldoch, who ended the outing with four goals. Waldoch, alongside junior 2-meter Max Miller, helped the Trojans climb out of a two-goal deficit in the first quarter. Waldoch also bumped USC into a lead in the third quarter after a counter from junior driver Carson Kranz. 

USC entered the fourth quarter with a narrow lead, only up by one point. After the Bruins came back to tie it up, the Trojans took off. Three goals later, thanks to junior 2-meter Tony Nardelli, redshirt senior driver Ashworth Molthen, and redshirt senior 2-meter Jake Ehrhardt, USC had gained the largest lead in the game thus far. With less than a minute and a half remaining in the game, UCLA was down three goals and in need of a miracle to come back. 

Their miracle came in the form of a 7-on-6 offensive play, where the Bruins goalie subbed out for a field player and forced USC into a zone defense. UCLA repeated this method for three offensive possessions, forcing the game into overtime play. 

The rivals battled for five minutes and 57 seconds before a goal was scored by the Bruins to win the game. Grgurevic could only describe the final moments of the game as overwhelming with emotion. 

“To think you have already won the game with a minute to go and then be down, it’s indescribable,” he said. 

While the scoreboard reflected a loss for the Trojans, Head Coach Marko Pintaric believed that USC’s performance outshined the Bruins in the end. The Trojans defense, especially in the final moments of high-pressure games, has been their Achilles’ heel this season, according to Pintaric. 

“To allow three goals with 7-on-6 is unacceptable,” Pintaric said. “The game was excellent, I’m proud of the guys [and] the way they played, but we need to play better defense.” 

The Trojans will return home to Uytengsu Aquatics Center to host the MPSF Tournament next weekend, with games running Friday November 18 through Sunday November 20. USC’s first contest is against Austin College Friday at 2:45 p.m.