CARLISLE, Pa. — Pacific Coast Division Champion/No. 1-ranked California Polytechnic State University becomes the all-time most successful men’s collegiate club water polo team at the National Collegiate Club Championship as the previously five-time (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007) National Champion Mustangs add a record sixth crown via a 9-8 defeat of Southwest Division Champion and three-time defending National Champion (2022, 2003, 2004) the University of California-San Diego for the 2025 prize.
Cal Poly, which entered the weekend tied with both UC-San Diego and Sierra Pacific Division Champion California State University-Chico for No. 1 in the latest edition of the Men’s Collegiate Club Top 20 Poll, makes history along with UC-San Diego on a number of levels:
- Cal Poly shatters a tie with Lindenwood University (2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019) for the most Men’s National Collegiate Club Championships as the Mustangs’ six best the Lions’ five.
- Cal Poly wins its sixth National Championship in a record nine title game appearances with runner-up finishes in both 2003 (vs. the University of Michigan), 2008 (vs. Michigan State University) and 2022 (vs. UC-San Diego)
- The National Championship marks the 13th in the history of Cal Poly men’s and women’s collegiate club water polo as the women’s team holds seven titles (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) in 12 title game berths with runner-up finishes in 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2018. The programs rate as the most successful in the history of the sport on the collegiate club level with a combined 13 championships in 21 title games (out of 50 potential title games – 26 men/24 women since 1999 with the 2020 men’s/2020 & 2021 women’s championships canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak).
- The 2025 crown terminates a record three-year span of success for UC-San Diego at the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship as the Tritons downed Cal Poly (2022), the University of Florida (2023) and California Maritime Academy (2024) to join Lindenwood (2014, 2015, 2016) as the only teams to win three consecutive National Championships. Further, the loss ends UC-San Diego’s quest to become the first men’s collegiate club water polo to claim four consecutive National Collegiate Club Championships
- Courtesy the program’s fifth consecutive National Championship appearance – starting with a runner-up mark versus Michigan State in 2021 – the Tritons become the second team in the history of men’s collegiate club water polo to compete in five consecutive National Championship title games. The previous record of four was held by Cal Poly (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004), Michigan State (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) and Lindenwood (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). The mark for most in either gender belongs to Cal Poly which claimed for the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship for six years in a row (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) and in 10-of-11 (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) title tilts (the 2006 meeting of Michigan State University and the University of Florida being the one missed title game appearance).
The path to the program’s sixth National Championship was a dog-fight with the three-time defending National Champion Tritons.
Similar to the programs’ 2022 National Championship meeting at the Chehalem Aquatics & Fitness Center in Newberg, Ore. – a game then No. 2 UC-San Diego claimed by a 7-6 score over top-ranked Cal Poly to earn the program’s inaugural title – the 2025 edition was another meeting that frayed nerves, chewed up fingernails and concluded with a one score outcome.
Neither team led by more than two goals during the 28 minutes of regulation as UC-San Diego acquired an early lead only to play catch-up throughout the duration of the second half.
The first quarter saw the two teams slug it out on both ends of the tank as Braden Clark (Sr., San Marcos, Calif.) staked the Tritons to a 1-0 margin 25 seconds into the game, Player of the Game Bennett Steiger (Sr., Sonoma, Calif.) delivered a response for the Mustangs at 4:52, Rhys Bugelli (Gr, La Jolla, Calif.) returned the lead to UC-San Diego at 3:24 and Daniel Davis (Sr., Alamo, Calif.) balanced the scoreboard at two-all with 1:01 on the clock.
Following a another goal by Steiger (11 seconds) to close out the first quarter and provide Cal Poly a 3-2 lead, the Tritons forked in natural markers from Andrew Cagney (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) (3:46) and Clark (2:51) to put UC-San Diego ahead at 4-3. The lead lasted for 34 seconds until Jackson Geiger (So., Alio Viejo, Calif.) converted a man-up opportunity at 2:17 to tie the game at four-all heading into halftime.
Geiger’s goal proved to be the turning point of the contest as the Mustangs broke loose to open the second half/third quarter with back-to-back-to-back scores by Steiger (6:42, penalty shot), Colin Parker (Jr., Walnut Creek, Calif.) (5:07) and Geiger (3:36, man-up) to place Cal Poly in front to stay at 7-4.
A pivotal moment of the game occurred before Geiger’s second tally as Clark – who posted two first half goals to help his team hang with Cal Poly – was whistled for a misconduct for disrespect at 3:52 and rolled from the game.
Minus the team’s leading scorer to that point in the title tilt, Gabe Burks (Jr., Ann Arbor. Mich.) and Bugelli shrank UC-San Diego’s deficit to a lone score at 7-6 as the duo delivered natural strikes at 3:29 and 2:46, respectively, to place the Tritons on the precipice of tying the Mustangs.
The teams exchanged scoring blows in the closing minutes of the third quarter as Steiger (2:19) and TJ Turner (Sr., San Diego, Calif.) arched in shots to set the scoreboard at 8-7 leading into the fourth quarter.
Steiger factored in both fourth quarter goals as he buried a penalty shot at 2:06 to build Cal Poly’s lead to 9-7 and was excluded with 1:41 to give UC-San Diego a shot at rallying back in the final two minutes. Turner torqued in a man-up chance to turn opportunity into reality as the Tritons closed two within one at 98.
UC-San Diego regained the ball twice in the game’s final minute, but Cal Poly’s defense stiffened to keep the Tritons in check and allow Cal Poly to reign supreme in men’s collegiate club water polo for the first time since 2007.
For the Mustangs – who have finished Third (2000, 2017, 2018, 2024) and Fifth (2006) at the Men’s Collegiate Club Championship since 2000 to go along with the team’s championship and runner-up finishes – Steiger inflicted the majority of the offensive damage with five goals. Geiger posted a pair with Parker and Davis delivering single scores.
UC-San Diego – which adds another plaque to its wall as the Tritons previously placed First (2022, 2023, 2024) Second (2021), Third (2019), Fifth (2018) and Ninth (2013) at the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship – received pairs ot scores by Clark, Bugelli and Turner to go along with solo slashes by Burks and Cagney.
Following the title game, the 2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club All-Tournament Team was announced with Bugelli and Cal Poly head coach Scott Thornton collecting Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Coach of the Tournament status:
| 2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship All-Tournament Team | |
| Most Valuable Player: | Rhys Bugelli (University of California-San Diego) |
| Coach of the Tournament: | Scott Thornton (California Polytechnic State University) |
| First Team | |
| Ryan Parker (Goalie) | California State University-Chico |
| Hank Wildenradt | California State University-Chico |
| Rhys Bugelli | University of California-San Diego |
| TJ Turner | University of California-San Diego |
| Bennett Steiger | California Polytechnic State University |
| Ryan Bousfield | California Polytechnic State University |
| Michael Dilascia | University of Alabama |
| Second Team | |
| Ethan Stout (Goalie) | University of Alabama |
| Landon Kenney | University of Alabama |
| Bo Clemens | California Polytechnic State University |
| Owen Taylor | California Polytechnic State University |
| Jake Anderson | California Polytechnic State University |
| Travis Thames | Texas A&M University |
| Leyton Kraft | Texas A&M University |
| Landon Kenney | University of Alabama |
| Braden Clark | University of California-San Diego |
| Owen Fritz | Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University |
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 1 California Polytechnic State University | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | 9 |
| No. 1 University of California-San Diego | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | – | 8 |
| UC-San Diego Goals: | Braden Clark (2); Rhys Bugelli (2); TJ Turner (2); Gabe Burks; Andrew Cagney | |||||
| Cal Poly Goals: | Bennett Steiger (5); Jackson Geiger (2); Colin Parker; Daniel Davis | |||||
| Exclusions: | UC-San Diego – 6 ; Cal Poly – 3 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | UC-San Diego – 1-for-3 ; Cal Poly – 4-for-6 | |||||
| Sprints: | UC-San Diego – 2-for-4 (1st, 2nd) ; Cal Poly – 2-for-4 (3rd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | MD – UC-San Diego (Braden Clark, 3:52 left in 3rd Q) | |||||
| Officials: | Chad Quinn, Matt Turner | |||||
The University of California-San Diego’s Gonzalo Rivera (#12)
California Polytechnic State University’s Owen Taylor (#4) & the University of California-San Diego’s Connor Stauffer (#10)
California Polytechnic State University’s Bennett Steiger (#24)
California Polytechnic State University celebrates 2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship title
2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Bracket
2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Officials: Kevin Jauregui, Raheem Brown, Chad Quinn, Geoff Deasey, Matt Turner, Matt Stuckwisch
2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Most Valuable Player: Rhys Bugelli (University of California-San Diego)
2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Runner-Up – University of California-San Diego
2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Champion – California Polytechnic State University
