The weather may have been frigid in Cedar City, Utah this past weekend, but the UCLA men’s club water polo team was on fire, emphatically winning all four of its games and recapturing this year’s National Collegiate Club Championship.
The Bruins successfully defended their title by defeating the University of Texas 12-8 on Sunday, and are only the second team in collegiate club water polo history to repeat as men’s national champions.
The team was led by third-year economics student Max Scott, who scored five goals in the championship game, earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
He also shared the Player of the Game honor with his twin brother, goalkeeper Mike Scott, a third-year mechanical engineering student.
“We’ve played together for 10 years now, so it’s always good to share that,” Max Scott said. “More importantly though, we shared the win with the whole team. Our team really came together. We had good teamwork and good defense.”
The Bruins simply dominated the postseason tournament, held at the University of Southern Utah, by outscoring their four opponents 56-21.
Still, winning the national championship was not always a done deal, as the team trailed Texas by 4-2 heading into the second quarter of the final match.
“We definitely had to take a step back and take a look at how we were playing,” third-year religious studies and history student as well as the co-president, Cameron Virjee said.
“We weren’t used to being in a position of coming from behind, so we were caught off-guard and kind of on our heels. We had to readjust, take a deep breath and just execute.”
The Bruins managed to regain their composure after the first quarter, and went on an 8-1 scoring run that effectively sealed the win for them. The Longhorns were unable to close the gap after this surge in momentum.
For fourth-year political science student and co-president Caleb Greig, the championship win was especially bittersweet. It was a rewarding success for all of the team’s hard work, but it also signaled the end of the road for his water polo achievements.
“Last year, I went out there and really tried to do my best to win it for the seniors and this year, being a senior, I felt as if the entire team really wanted to win it for us, especially because they knew how much it meant to me,” Greig said. “We set the goal of winning a national championship for ourselves, and if we hadn’t done that, this season would’ve felt like a failure.”
The players had only one goal this season: to repeat as national champions. Anything short of that was deemed unacceptable. In the end, the very knowledge that they accomplished what they had set out to do was the biggest reward they could have hoped for.
“Although it wasn’t the NCAA championships, and we don’t get shiny rings, or get to go meet President Obama, it is the best we can do at our level,” Mike Scott said. “Winning the championship again was something that we viewed as the only desirable outcome of the season.”
With the Bruins having won the highest honor possible back-to-back and losing only one game in the past two years, it is remarkable to think that this powerhouse has just recently come to light.
“I think in the last two years, the program has really changed from a motley crew of guys who got together on their own terms to now, where we have a bunch of guys who are dedicated and showing up to practices consistently,” Virjee said. “It’s all on our own will. We’re not forced to be there and we’re not forced to work out as hard as we do. So it’s nice when all the hard work we do pays off.”
The long hours and dedication to their sport has certainly played a vital role in the Bruins’ success, but their ability to let loose and enjoy the game has played an additional factor in distinguishing them from other teams.
“We actually don’t take it as seriously as some other teams,” Greig said. “A huge part of our team philosophy is to have fun, and that comes first. If you’re not having fun, then why are you doing it? We work harder, we swim harder, we scrimmage harder and we put ourselves through a lot of physical training that starts a month before school starts.”
The final key ingredient to the Bruins’ winning strategy for the last two years has without a doubt been the exceptional team chemistry.
“Everyone enjoys playing and we are together so often that we get to know each other extremely well,” Mike Scott said. “We were also lucky enough to have coach Doug (Merkel) around for another year. He really pulls the team together in and out of the pool.” The team chemistry transcends the pool and the collective bonds between teammates create a brotherhood, a recipe for success.
“Transfer students and freshmen come to UCLA and don’t know anyone, but within two weeks, they’ve made lasting friendships,” Greig said. “The hard practices really push us together and you get to know your teammates in a way that’s completely different from friendships you form in other aspects of college life.”
Now that the season has come to an end, the Bruins are finally free to relax and enjoy their time off. Sort of.
“As early as it is, next year is already on my mind,” Virjee said. “We will definitely be back in full force, working just as hard as we did the past two years. It would be historic if we did complete the three-peat. We have the talent and the will to get it done.”
Max Scott made it clear what the Bruins’ offseason plans were, by recalling an email just recently sent to the team.
“LA wins championships in threes,” it said.