STANFORD, Calif. — Big West champion UC Davis battled on the national stage Friday afternoon, falling 15-9 to No. 3-seeded and host-site Stanford in the quarterfinal round of the National Collegiate Men’s Water Polo Championship at Avery Aquatic Center on the campus of the Cardinal.
Stanford struck early to take a 2-0 lead, but the Aggies answered with poise when Max Prokhin delivered the freshman’s thirteenth goal of the season to put UCD on the board. Moments later, the Aggies built momentum again as center Andrew Hitchcock found the back of the net, keeping the opening frame tight before Stanford closed the quarter ahead.
The Aggies continued to generate answers in the second period. A perfectly placed outlet from goalkeeper Baxter Chelsom (2025 Big West Championship MVP) set All-Big West First Teamer Tommy Kiesling for a clean finish, and the Aggies’ transition game paid off when attacker Adam Ting punched in a counterattack goal to energize the bench. Chelsom anchored the defense throughout the half, coming up with five saves, including a crucial penalty block, and two more stops in the closing minutes before the break. The Aggies entered halftime trailing 8-4 but carried clear momentum into the locker room after weathering multiple Cardinal surges.
Coming out of the half, the host-site Cardinal began to go on a lengthy scoring run. Utility Mati Ruano sparked the UC Davis attack with a composed finish early in the third, eventually tallying the sophomore’s second of the match as the offense began clicking. Prokhin added the freshman’s second tally of the day, while Kiesling notched another goal to round out a strong third quarter for the Ags.
Oriol Viñas sent a powerful strike through in the fourth and final period to help the Aggies generate seven different goal scorers. Tim Kerr, this year’s recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 Award, closed the matchup with a trio of assists.
The defensive unit also forced seven steals, while Chelsom capped off the contest with six saves in cage.
UC Davis concludes its season at 15-13, having returned to the NC Championship for the first time since 2022, marking the eighth national postseason appearance in program history. Stanford advances to the Semifinal Saturday for the second straight season. The Cardinal will now face No. 2-seeded and storied rival UCLA tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. on NCAA.com.
The 2025 National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship Final will be held on Dec. 7 at 3 p.m, nationally televised on ESPNU and streamed on ESPN+.
Gallery: (12-5-2025) 25 MWP Championship: UCD vs Stanford