HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Alex Lee (Sr. Pacific Palisades, Calif.) scored six times with pairs of markers in the first, second and third quarters as Sierra Pacific Division Champion/No. 3-ranked the University of California overcame Missouri Valley Division Champion/No. 16 McKendree University by a 16-4 count in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship at the Huntsville Aquatics Center.
California – which previously placed Fourth (2018), Fifth (2017), Sixth (2016), Third (2015, 2014, 2013) and Second (2012) at the National Collegiate Club Championship – is guaranteed to claim the programs’ fifth Top Four finish as the Golden Bears advance into the tournament’s semifinals. The Golden Bears return to the pool at 5:10 p.m. on Saturday, November 13, to face the victor of a quarterfinal pitting Rocky Mountain Division Champion/No. 6 the University of Colorado and Big Ten Division Champion/No. 2 Michigan State University with a berth in the National Collegiate Club Championship game on the line.
The loss drops McKendree – which previously finished in Eighth Place at the 2016 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship in the program’s only prior appearance at theevent – into the consolation side of the bracket. The Bearcats will battle the fallen from the Colorado-Michigan State game at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 13, with a spot in the Fifth Place game at stake.
- California never trailed versus McKendree as the Golden Bears opened up a 3-0 lead by the 4:27 mark of the first quarter thanks to man-up goals by Lee (6:05), Kai Mohl (Fr., Palos Verdes, Calif.) (5:21) and Mark Presten (Gr. Lafayette, Calif.) (4:27). Lee and Cooper Tunney (Fr., Orinda, Calif.) closed the first quarter with back-to-back natural markers at 3:20 and 1:55, respectively, as California acquired a 5-0 lead through seven minutes of action.
- McKendree got on the board 17 seconds into the second quarter as Connor Pulido (Jr., Chicago Ridge, Ill.) stroked in a shot at 6:43 prior to Thomas “TJ” Joubert (Fr., Johannesurg, South Africa) flinging in a follow-up strike with 4:46 until halftime to move the Bearcats within 5-2.
- However, Cal pummeled the twine over the remainder of the second quarter as Daniel Ardjmand (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) started another 5-0 outburst with 4:38 on the quarter clock. Lee followed with another man-up tally (3:50) prior to Mohl (3:31), Lee (3:12) and Ardjmand (2:30) hammering home natural scores to inflate the Golden Bears’ lead to 10-2.
- Covington “CJ” Brushwood (So., Gresham, Ore.) chipped the margin down to seven prior to the halftime horn by slipping in a shot with 36 seconds left in the second quarter to move McKendree within 10-3 at the break.
- California added to its lead in the third quarter with a 3-0 surge as Lee (5:03, 2:40) and Nate Conger (Sr., Encinitas, Calif.) (5:33) combined to make it a 13-3 contest through 21 minutes of competition.
- Following a tally by Theo Trask (Jr., Santa Monica, Calif.) with 5:48 left in the fourth quarter to enlarge the lead to 14-3, McKendree snapped the run at the 5:28 mark with a strike by Eli Grande (Fr., San Bernardino, Calif.) to move the Bearcats back to within 10 at 14-4.
- Man-up goals from Jack Hughes (Jr., Malibu, Calif.) and Chris LeBoa (Gr., San Leandro, Calif.) at 4:56 and 3:38, respectively, brought the curtain down on the game and established the final portions of Cal’s 16-4 win.
- For California, Lee (six), Ardjmand (two) and Mohl (two) notched multi-goal games, while Trask, Tunney, Conger, LeBoa and Presten racked up solo markers.
- McKendree received single goals from Brushwood, Grande, Pulido and Gray in taking the loss.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| University of California |
5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | – | 16 |
| McKendree University | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | – | 4 |
| McKendree Goals: | CJ Brushwood; Eli Grande; Connor Pulido; Ethan Gray | |||||
| California Goals: | Alex Lee (6); Daniel Ardjmand (2); Kai Mohl (2); Jack Hughes; Theo Trask; Cooper Tunney; Nate Conger; Chris LeBoa; Mark Presten | |||||
| Exclusions: | McKendree – 7 ; California – 7 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | McKendree – 0-for-7 ; California – 6-for-7 | |||||
| Sprints: | McKendree – 4-for-4 ; California – 0-for-4 | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Bruce Morehouse; Brandon Nicholson | |||||
McKendree University’s Ethan Hansen (#16)
McKendree University’s Vlad Puskovitch (#5)
