KEARNS, Utah — Tournament Most Valuable Player Graham McClone (Gr., Placerville, Calif.) scored three times – including twice in the first quarter as the Tritons built a 5-3 lead – as Southwest Division Champion/No. 1 the University of California-San Diego led by opening sprint to closing horn versus Florida Division Champion/No. 6 the University of Florida to take a 12-8 title game victory at the 2023 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the University of Utah.
Competing at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center, UC-San Diego – which previously placed First (2022), Second (2021), Third (2019), Fifth (2018) and Ninth (2013) at the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship – makes history by joining California Polytechnic State University (2001-2002), the University of California-Los Angeles (2009-10), the University of Southern California (2011-12) and Lindenwood University (2014-15-16; 2018-19) as the institutions that have repeated as a Men’s National Collegiate Club Champion.
Florida – which previously placed Third (2001, 2011), Fourth (2008), Sixth (2019), Eighth (2000), Ninth (2003), 10th (2018, 2023), 11th (2002), 12th (2017) and 13th (2009) in prior trips to the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship – come up just short to become the first team from the East Coast to win the Men’s National Championship since Dartmouth College achieved the feat by downing the University of Colorado in 1997.
UC-San Diego wasted little time in pulling ahead in the game as McClone converted a man-up chance 13 seconds into the game (6:47) to put the Tritons in front. Luke Carey (Sr., Orlando, Fla.) answered for Florida with a power-play strike of his own 32 seconds later (6:15), but theTritons went on a 3-0 run as Alexander Voldby (Jr., Copenhagen, Denmark) (6:05), Braden Clark (So., San Diego, Calif.) (3:56) and McClone (1:45, man-up) torqued in a trio of tallies to race out to a 4-1 margin.
Gabriele Bassani (Gr., Parma, Italy) (1:29, penalty shot) and Carey (1:02) trimmed the Gators’ deficit back to one at 4-3, but Berk Aksoy (Sr., Los Gatos, Calif.) snapped the string with four seconds left in the opening frame to allow UC-San Diego to regain a two-goal lead at 5-3.
Voldby doubled up Florida at 6-3 with 4:22 remaining in the second quarter. The Gators outscored the Tritons 2-1 over the remainder of the frame as NIcky Borden (Fr., Danville, Calif.) (2:11, man-up) and Bassani (25 seconds) sandwiched a marker by Aksoy (1:06) to make it a 7-5 game entering halftime.
UC-San DIego began to pull away in the dawning moments of the third quarter as Andrew Cagney (Fr., Whittier, Calif.) and McClone put away shots at 6:31 and 3:58 (penalty shot), respectively, to expand the spread to 9-5. Bassani terminated the Tritons’ run at 3:41 before Aksoy (2:57, man-up) and Borden (1:31) both dented the twine to set the scoreboard at 10-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
UC-San Diego began to prepare for a celebratory dive in the first 3:30 of the final seven minutes as Cagney (5:25) and Clark (3:38) inflated the lead to 12-7. Carey connected on a shot at 3:23 to close within 12-8, but the Tritons’ defense locked down on Florida during the remaining time to keep the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship in Southern California for another year.
It marks the third Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship claimed by a San Diego institution as San Diego State University took home the 2014 crown under then head coach Larry Sanders. Sanders is currently an assistant coach on the staff of UC-San Diego leader Hector Sanchez.
For Florida, Bassani (three), Carey (three) and Borden (two) accounted for all of the Gators’ offense.
The National Champion Tritons were led by McClone (three), Aksoy (three), Cagney (two), Clark (two) and Voldby (two) as the quintet combined for UC-San Diego’s 12 goals to share Player of the Game honors.
Following the game, the Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Tournament were named with McClone and Florida’s Lucas Weaver taking home the prizes, respectively.
The 2023 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship All-Tournament Team is anticipated for publication and release later this evening.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 6 University of Florida |
3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 8 |
| No. 1 University of California-San Diego | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | – | 12 |
| UCSD Goals: | Graham McClone (3); Berk Aksoy (3); Andrew Cagney (2); Braden Clark (2); Alexander Voldby (2) | |||||
| Florida Goals: | Gabriele Bassani (3); Luke Carey (3); Nicky Borden (2) | |||||
| Exclusions: | UCSD – 15 ; Florida – 7 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | UCSD – 4-for-7 ; Florida – 3-for-15 | |||||
| Sprints: | UCSD – 3-for-4 (1st, 3rd, 4th) ; Florida – 1-for-4 (2nd) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | YC – UCSD (Head coach Hector Sanchez, 1:50 left in 2nd Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Don Lewis, Victor Rarau | |||||
University of Florida’s Luke Carey (#14
University of California-San Diego’s Alexander Voldby (#17) shoots as the University of Florida’s Micah Bayle (#13) and Nicholas Santarsiero (#2) pursue
University of Florida’s Luke Carey (#14) attempts to stop the University of California-San Diego’s Graham McClone (#3)
2023 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Runner-Up: University of Florida
2023 Men’s National Collegiate Club Champion: University of California-San Diego
