HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Teddy Meeks (Jr., Menlo Park, Calif.) and Ryan Karr (Fr., Menlo Park, Calif.) both scored four times to earn Player of the Game kudos as New England Division Champion/No. 15-ranked Yale University overcame a 4-3 deficit at the conclusion of the first quarter to down Missouri Valley Division Champion Iowa State University, 14-10, in the 2026 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship Ninth Place game.
Competing at the Huntsville Aquatics Center in an event sponsored by the Huntsville Sports Commission and the University of Alabama, the Bulldogs outscored the Cyclones 3-1, 3-2 and 5-3 in the second, third and fourth quarters, respectively, to add a Ninth Place finish to a legacy that includes prior Second (2011), Seventh (2009), Fifth (2005), Fourth (2004) and Third (2003) place marks.
Iowa State – which previously tied for 13th (2005) and 15th (2014, 2024) at Nationals – earns the program’s inaugural Top 10 position.
Following an opening volley by Antonio Giraldez Greco (So., New Haven, Conn.) to provide Yale a 1-0 lead 28 seconds into the game (5:32), the Cyclones ripped off a 4-0 run as Juan Garay (Fr., LIma, Peru) (5:15, man-up), Casey Smith (Jr., Santa Clara, Calif.) (3:45; 2:00) and Maxwell Moore (Fr., Ballwin, Mo.) (2:00) gave Iowa State a 4-1 margin. The Bulldogs trimmed their deficit down to a single goal before the conclusion of the quarter as Andrew Yang (Fr., Princeton Junction, N.J.) (1:30, man-up) and Giraldez Greco (50 seconds, man-up) took advantage of extra-man chances to move Yale within 4-3.
In the second quarter, Chris Cottrill (Sr., Naperville, Ill.) reinflated Iowa State’s lead to a pair as he converted a six-on-five bid at 5:15 to push the Cyclones ahead 5-3. The lead was short-lived, however, as Meeks came up strong to swish even-strength shots at 2:44 and 1:54 to tie the score before Karr connected on a man-up bid at 1:17 to make the score 6-5 and put Yale ahead for the first time since its 1-0 margin in the opening moments of the first quarter.
Trailing 6-5 at halftime, Iowa State regained the momentum in the dawning moments of the third quarter as Ryan Losh (Gr, Libertyville, Ill.) and Moore put away shots at 6:19 and 4:51 to give the Cyclones a 7-6 scoreboard advantage.
However, ISU’s momentum had a brief lifespan as Meeks (4:35), Tomas Watson (Sr., London, England, United Kingdom) (3:05) and Karr (24 seconds) flipped the script to place Yale ahead 9-7 at the conclusion of the third quarter.
Jorge Stewart-Davila (Fr., Frisco, Wakefield) attempted to get Iowa State back in the game by burying a man-up bid with 6:35 on the fourth quarter clock. The Bulldogs bit back as Meeks (5:25, man-up) and Giraldez Greco (4:00, penalty shot) padded the lead to 11-8. Davila trimmed ISU’s deficit to a pair at 11-9 with a man-up score, but Karr (2:31; 1:39) and Max Colomer (Sr., Palos Verdes, Calif.) (13 seconds) iced the win with a trio of tallies for a 14-9 spread. Riley Traviss (Jr, Naperville, Ill.) concluded the offensive fireworks by drilling home a six-of-five chance with two ticks left in regulation for the 14-10 final score.
Davila, Smith and Moore led the way for Iowa State with pairs of goals. Traviss, Garay, Cottrill and Losh tacked on solo markers with goalkeeper Lucas Adell (Fr., Aurora, Ill.) making nine saves.
Giraldez Greco (three), Watson, Yang and Colomer joined Karr and Meeks in the scoring column for Yale. Garrett Curtis (Jr., New Haven, Conn.) earned the win in cage with eight saves.
Yale University’s Antonio Giraldez Greco (#15) & Iowa State University’s Sam Perez (#11)
Yale University’s Teddy Meeks (#10) tries to flip a ball backwards as Iowa State University’s Chris Cottrill (#10) defends
Iowa State University’s Juan Garay (#5) breaks up a shot by Yale University’s Ryan Karr (#21)
Yale University’s Teddy Meeks (#10) & Iowa State University’s Maxwell Moore (#4)
