HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Maxwell Moore (Fr., Ballwin, Mo.) scored five times to collect Player of the Game notice as Missouri Valley Division Champion Iowa State University took down Florida Division Champion/No. 10-ranked Florida International University to earn a spot in the 2026 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Ninth Place game at the Huntsville Aquatics Center.
The Cyclones – which previously claimed 13th (2005) and 15th (2005, 2024) in three prior trips to Nationals – will return to the water at 2:15 p.m. Central on Saturday, November 8, in a battle for Ninth Place with New England Division Champion/No. 15 Yale University.
FIU – which returned to the National Collegiate Club Championship after placing Second (2009), Fifth (2006), Sixth (2007), and Seventh (2005) in prior appearances at the event – will take on Great Lakes Division Champion/No. 16 University of Notre Dame at 3:30 p.m. in the 30th and final game of the weekend as the Golden Panthers will face the Irish for 11th Place.
Leading 12-11 at the conclusion of the third quarter, Florida International expanded its lead to 13-11 as Yassin Moussa (Cairo, Egypt) found the back of the cage to give the Golden Panthers a two score margin.
The lead did not hold up, however, as Jorge Stewart Davilla (Fr., Frisco, Texas) (4:48, man-up) and Juan Garay (Fr., Lima, Peru) (3:22, penalty shot) tied the game with back-to-back strikes prior to Davila (2:51) and Moore (2:15) putting Iowa State in front to stay at 15-13.
Moussa attemped to rally the Golden Panthers back into the contest by burying a shot at 1:54, but Chris Cottrill (Sr., Naperville, Ill.) (1:26, man-up) and Davila (39 seconds) iced the victory with consecutive goals to close out a 17-14 come from behind win.
Moussa led the way for FIU with six goals, while Yassin Taymour (Cairo, Egypt) added five more. Lester Machado (Hialeah, Fla.) tacked on a pair with Guillermo Reboredo (Caracas, Venezuela) slipping in a solo strike. Connor Altentado (Miami, Fla.) made five saves in taking the loss for Florida International.
Moore (five), Tovi Kharpak (So., Mundelein, Ill.) (four), Davila (three), Garay (three), Cottrill and Mohamed Elliboudy (Jr., Alexandria, Egypt) combined for Iowa State’s 17 goals with Lucas Adell (Fr., Aurora, Ill.) making 12 saves.
Florida International University’s Yovanny Marquez (#15) defends
Iowa State University’s Mohamed Elliboudy (#15) & Florida International University’s Yassin Taymour (#7)
Florida International University’s Yovanny Marquez (#15) & Iowa State University’s Maxwell Moore (#4)
