CARLISLE, Pa. — Player of the Game Ryan Parker (Sr., Walnut Creek, Calif.) made 11 saves and scored a goal in the fourth quarter to aid a comeback by Sierra Pacific Division Champion/No. 1-ranked California State University-Chico as the Wildcats went the distance and more in stopping Big Ten Division Champion/No. 8 the University of Michigan in overtime, 10-9, during the second game of the 2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Mid-Atlantic Division at the Carlisle YMCA Aquatic Center.
Cal State Chico, which is making the program’s inaugural appearance at the National Collegiate Club Championship, advances to an 11:20 a.m. Eastern quarterfinal game on Saturday, November 8, against the victor of an opening round contest pitting Texas Division Champion/No. 12 Texas A&M University and Mid-Atlantic Division Champion/No. 15 Pennsylvania State University.
The loss drops Michigan – which earned the No. 15 spot in the championship field due to forfeiting the 11th Place game at the 2024 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the University of Florida – falls into the consolation side of the bracket. The Wolverines – which can now not finish higher than Ninth Place at the 30-game, 16 team championship – will take on the loser of the Texas A&M-Penn State game at 8:40 p.m. this evening.
Trailing 6-5 entering the fourth quarter, the Wildcats saw themselves nearly tamed by the Maize & Blue as Michigan’s Ben Edlund (Jr., Ann Arbor, Mich.) put away a potential coffin nail with 4:58 remaining in regulation.
Facing a two-goal deficit versus a Top 10-nationally ranked team, Chico turned to an offensive hero – goalkeeper Parker – who swished a shot at 2:36 to pull his team back to within a goal at 7-6. Joe Stanbridge (So., Huntington Beach, Calif.) capped off the Wildcats’ rally by converting a bid with 41 seconds left until the conclusion of regulation to tie the contest at seven-all and bring on overtime.
In the first OT frame, Michigan regained the lead as Zach Rossen (Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.) cashed in a man-up chance at 1:27 in staking the Wolverines to an 8-7 margin. Hank Wildenradt (Sr., Rocklin, Calif.) responded at 1:09 to balance the scoreboard at eight-all, Mark Flautner (Fr., Ann Arbor, Mich.) returned the lead to Michigan at the 10 seconds mark and Wildenradt struck again at the horn to square the squads a nine-all heading into the second OT period.
Neither team mustered much offense until Declan Linnane (So., Piedmont, Calif.) deposited a score with 2:09 on the clock for what proved to be the game decider to permit Cal State Chico to escape with a 10-9 victory.
Chico’s comeback capped off a game in which the team jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Wildenradt (6:46), Ben Castillo (Fr., Sacramento, Calif.) (4:21) and Tony Trapanese (Fr., Vallejo, Calif.) (3:32) delivered for the Wildcats within the first 3:30 of the game. James Yan (Jr., Newport Beach, Calif.) (1:36) and Ian Cardenas (Fr., Dana Point, Calif.) (11 seconds) scored to bookend a minor act of misconduct to Zach Rossen (Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.) (45 seconds) to close Michigan within 3-2 after seven minutes of action.
The second quarter saw a single goal as Wildenradt flushed a shot with 1:05 left in the first half as Cal State Chico reached the game’s midway point clutching a 4-2 lead.
Michigan found its mojo in the third quarter, however.
Following a score by Griffin Marks (Fr., Vallejo, Calif.) to inflate Chico’s lead to 5-2 with 5:21 remaining in the third quarter, the Wolverines bared their claws as Jack Staunton (Jr., Ann Arbor, Mich.) (5:01; 22 seconds), Cardenas (2:03) and Flautner (end of third quarter) combined for a four-score outburst to push ahead 6-5 and set-up the stage for the Wildcats’ come-from-behind victory.
For Michigan, Cardenas, Staunton and Flautner each scored twice, while Rossen, Edlund and Yan chipped in solo markers. Goalkeeper William Dinkeloo (So., Southfield, Mich.) stopped seven shots in taking the loss.
Wildenradt was the high-scorer for Chico with four goals with Castillo, Trapanese, Marks, Stanbridge, Linnane and Parker combining for the Wildcats’ 10-score output.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | OT1 | OT2 | – | FINAL | |
| No. 8 University of Michigan | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 9 |
| No. 1 California State University-Chico | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 10 |
| CSU-Chico Goals: | Hank Wildenradt (4); Ben Castillo; Tony Trapanese; Griffin Marks; Joe Stanbridge; Declan Linnane; Ryan Parker | |||||||
| Michigan Goals: | Ian Cardenas (2); Jack Staunton (2); Mark Flautner (2); Zach Rossen; Ben Edlund; James Yan | |||||||
| Saves: | CSU-Chico – Ryan Parker (11) ; Michigan – William Dinkeloo (7) | |||||||
| Exclusions: | CSU-Chico – 10 ; Michigan – 6 | |||||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | CSU-Chico – 0-for-6 ; Michigan – 2-for-10 | |||||||
| Sprints: | CSU-Chico – 6-for-6 ; Michigan – 0-for-6 | |||||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | YC – Michigan (Bench, 4:26 left in 1st Q) | |||||||
| Officials: | Raheem Brown, Matt Stuckwisch | |||||||
California State University-Chico’s Tony Trapanese (#19) defends the University of Michigan’s James Yan (#28)
The University of Michigan’s Ian Cardenas (#10) lines up a shot against California State University-Chico’s Declan Linnane (#6)
California State University-Chico’s Tony Trapanese (#19) & the University of Michigan’s Ian Cardenas (#10)
