It was the last four minutes of the game that decided the future of the Bruins’ season.

But a penalty goal from freshman attacker Ryder Dodd placed the team in a two-point lead that only widened in the final plays of the game.

Led by Dodd’s goal, No. 1 seed UCLA men’s water polo (25-2, 5-1 MPSF) defeated No. 4 seed Stanford (22-5, 4-2 MPSF) in the NCAA semifinal Saturday afternoon to secure a hard-fought 17-14 victory to advance to the championship game.

“We got a lot of freshmen on our team now and a lot of grad students that are new into the program,” said redshirt freshman goalkeeper Nate Tauscher. “We had to integrate them quickly, and I feel like that’s been the biggest point, biggest part and part of our success.”

Dodd found the back of the net six times across the match to lead the team in goals, while junior attacker Chase Dodd proved decisive in assisting five goals to two of his Bruin teammates.

The younger Dodd’s performance marked a standout moment in his freshman campaign. His last goal came at a critical juncture in the game, helping UCLA reclaim the lead during the games’ last stretch in the fourth quarter.

“My teammates put me in a really great position to be successful in these moments,” Dodd said. “Our work ethic has really gotten us to this point, and now we have to focus on the small steals, recover and study as much as possible.”

The semifinal showdown was a tightly contested affair from start to finish, with both teams trading blows throughout. Reminiscent of its earlier matchups this season, the Cardinal struck early, taking a 5-2 lead in the first period.

But UCLA wasted no time responding. Three consecutive goals from three different Bruins turned the tide, giving the Bruins a 5-2 scoring lead in the second period to tie up the score going into the half.

“The way we practice kind of sets us up,” Ryder Dodd said. “We have the most competitive team and having the most competitive practice puts us in the position to perform at a certain level.”

Capitalizing on UCLA turnovers to etch a lead, Stanford retaliated in the second half. The Bruins, however, did not let the Cardinal lead for long, recording back-to-back goals that sent Stanford to trail by one point heading into the fourth period.

Graduate student attacker Jack Larsen’s goal opened the fourth period, while Tauscher looked to find his groove in the cage.

“We were down a bit in the first, and it was a little bit stressful,” Tauscher said. “I tried to focus on myself and try to focus on what the team needed for me, and I just kept going.”

Ryder Dodd soon broke the deadlock set by Stanford’s two goals with two of his own in the last few minutes of the match. Moments later, redshirt sophomore attacker Frederico Jucá Carsalade added another on a counterattack, giving the Bruins the three-point cushion.

“We were going too fast as far as mentally upstairs,” Wright said. “Second half, we were able to slow it down, meaning just slow down the pace of the game in our mind, and we were able to take control. So I think if we can put four quarters of like that together, then we’re a tough team to beat.”

Stanford attempted to rally with under a minute to play, but it wasn’t enough to finish.

The Bruins secured the victory, punching their ticket to the NCAA championship game.

With the win, UCLA advances to Sunday’s title game, where it will face No. 3 seed USC. The championship showdown will be the Bruins’ final step in their quest for their first NCAA title since 2020.

“I think for us, the biggest key is we’ve grown together,” Wright said. “We’ve learned to work together better, and that creates balance.”