A successful campaign involves trudging into enemy territory as much is it does protecting home field.

And now the Bruins are back home after two weekends away from Westwood.

No. 1 UCLA men’s water polo (17-0, 2-0 MPSF) will host No. 13 Princeton (14-4, 4-1 NWPC) on Saturday at the Spieker Aquatics Center, marking its first home appearance since Sept. 21 and is a test before more upcoming MPSF matchups.

The Bruins extended their winning streak – dating back to November 2024 – to 20 games last weekend with a 14-11 road win over No. 4 Stanford. Coach Adam Wright said the team’s defensive effort continues to set the tone, though there’s still room to grow.

“I love when our team plays defense the way they’re capable of doing it – it really puts teams in a tough spot,” Wright said. “Our transition wasn’t as great this week, and we’ve got to get better there.”

The matchup is UCLA’s only game this week and marks the start of a five-game homestand, with just one regular-season road contest remaining.

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Nate Tauscher, who earned MPSF West/Delfina Player of the Week honors after posting 12 saves against the Golden Bears and a career-high 14 saves against the Cardinal, said his focus has been on endurance and recovery as the Bruins hit the midpoint of their season.

“I would say my main focus is just training and keeping my body feeling healthy,” Tauscher said. “Then taking the conditioning up two times … How can I make myself not be tired in the game, make myself feel even more comfortable the next time I play these big teams?”

This will be the first matchup between UCLA and Princeton in 2025. The Bruins earned two narrow wins over the Tigers last season – a 17-16 overtime victory at the Overnght MPSF Invitational and a 10-8 win at home.

During the Bruins’ last matchup, redshirt junior attacker Frederico Jucá Carsalade added a hat trick and two assists – one of those goals being the game-winning penalty shot in the fourth quarter drawn by redshirt senior attacker Chase Dodd. With eight different Bruins finding the back of the net – led by sophomore attacker Ryder Dodd’s team-high four goals and five total points – UCLA secured yet another victory.

“I think our five-man was really strong today,” Ryder Dodd said. “So I think we just have to hone in on that for the next two weeks until we play SC (USC) – obviously Princeton this weekend … But again, those are the biggest two aspects of our game. That and then obviously just straight-up defense.”

The pair’s offensive spark, combined with strong play from Tauscher, helped UCLA seal its 20th consecutive victory and maintain its top national ranking heading into this weekend’s matchup with Princeton.

With a stretch of top-10 opponents and conference rivals looming, Wright said the key is consistency.

“These are the kinds of games that show us who we are,” Wright said. “If we stay committed to our defense and keep improving in transition, we’ll be in a good place heading into the rest of the season.”