PALO ALTO – For the second week in a row, the Bruins overcame a rough start to extend their winning streak.
No. 2 UCLA (17-0, 0-0 MPSF) defeated Santa Clara (4-7, 1-2 WWPA) by 13-7 in both teams’ first game of the MPSF Invitational at Stanford.
The Bruins jumped out in front after sophomore utility Felix Brozyna-Vilim scored an early shot. Both teams failed to gain much traction for the rest of the quarter, each netting one goal heading into the second quarter with the Bruins ahead 2-1.
Coach Adam Wright looked visibly frustrated with his team, sitting down and conversing with his assistant coaches instead of yelling at the players in the pool during much of the first half, with the Bruins holding a 5-3 lead at halftime. Freshman attacker Jake Cavano scored twice in the second quarter to lead the Bruins’ attack.
The Broncos scored twice within the first two minutes of the second half to knot the score at five. Sophomore center Quinten Osborne put the Bruins back on top with two goals, and sophomore attacker Nicolas Saveljic, freshman attacker Michael Graner, and Cavano added four more goals combined to put the Bruin lead at 11-5 at the end of the quarter.
The Bruins allowed two goals early in the fourth quarter to let the Broncos within four. Senior defender Warren Snyder put the margin at five with a 6-on-5 play. Graner scored again to give the Bruins their final goal.
The Bruins will face the winner of No. 8 Pepperdine (9-6, 1-0 GCC) and No. 11 San Diego (10-3, 3-1 WWPA) on Saturday morning.