KEARNS, Utah — Player of the Game Kai Mohl scored six times as Sierra Pacific Division Champion/No. 2-ranked the University of California built a 5-2 lead in the first quarter and held on to top Texas Division Champion/No. 8 Baylor University, 16-14, among the opening games of the 2023 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the University of Utah at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center.
Due to the win, California punches its ticket to a quarterfinal meeting with Great Lakes Division Champion/No. 11 Washington University in St. Louis at 10:10 a.m. Mountain on Saturday, November 11. Washington defeated the Atlantic Division Champion the University of Virginia by a 19-12 count in Game 4 of the championship to earn its clash with California.
The loss drops Baylor – which is making the program’s inaugural appearance at the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship – into the consolation side of the bracket. The Bears will return to the water at 6:20 p.m. this evening against Virginia.
California never trailed against Baylor as Mohl (5:58) and Ryan Elkhouri (4:40) swished shots to start the game and stake the Golden Bears to a quick 2-0 lead. Seth Kacura (Jr., San Clemente, Calif.) (4:40) and Cole Harvey (Jr., Orange, Calif.) (2:52, man-up) responded to tie the game at two-all, but Mohl (2:02), Tipher Wazzan (1:33) and Caleb Pine (five seconds) went back-to-back-to-back to close out the first seven minutes of action and push Cal out to a 5-2 lead.
Joseph Huly added to the lead with 5:54 on the second quarter clock to make it6-2 prior to Jackson Roth (Sr., San Jose, Calif.) terminating Cal’s 4-0 outburst by putting away a natural marker at 4:36 to move Baylor back to within three at 6-3.
The teams traded scoring blows from there as Jacob Lindy stuffed in another Golden Bears’ strike at 3:53, Stephen McMillen (Sr., Newport Beach, Calif.) responded for the Texas ursine at 3:42, Cooper Tunney tossed in another for California at 3:33, McMillen struck again for a man-up tally at 3:56 and Eklhouri lined in a shot at 2:46 to set the scoreboard at 9-5.
Elkhouri’s goal ignited a 3-0 mini run for California as Huly (2:05) and Mohl (1:40) arched in chances to build the Golden Bears’ margin to 11-5.
Baylor pawed its way back into the game, however, before halftime as Kacura (1:30, penalty shot) and Jake Pistone (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) (1:05) chalked up goals to shrink Cal’s lead down to 11-7 at the game’s midway point.
The lead evaporated in the third quarter as Kacura (4:45, man-up; 2:12), Trey Ponzi (So., Lake Jackson, Texas) (4:11) and Harvey (2:48) went back-to-back-to-back-to-back in approximately two minutes to tie California and Baylor at 11-all.
California’s offense reawakened as Mohl (2:01) and Elkhouri (1:34) closed out the third quarter with consecutive achievements before Mohl (6:03, 4:31) and Wazzan (3:15) commenced the fourth quarter with a string of offense to stake the Golden Bears to a 16-11 lead.
Baylor attempted to chip away at its deficit as Kacura posted a natural marker at 2:14 and a man-up tally at 1:30 prior to Harvey swishing a penalty shot at 1:11 to inch the Bears within 16-14. However, both teams locked down on defense and California goalie Alex Mueller made the two-goal lead stand-up to allow the Golden Bears to advance into the quarterfinals.
For Baylor, Kacura (four), Harvey (three), Ponzi (three) and McMillen (two) combined for 12 of their team’s 14 goals with Roth and Pistone chipping in solo scores in support of netminder Preston Sanders (Sr., San Clemente, Calif.).
Across the tank, Mohl (six), Elkhouri (three), Wazzan (two) and Huly (two) combined for 13 goals with Pine, Lindy and Tunney accounting for the remainder.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| No. 8 Baylor University |
2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | – | 14 |
| No. 2 University of California | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | – | 16 |
| California Goals: | Kai Mohl (6); Ryan Elkhouri (3); Tipher Wazzan (2); Joseph Huly (2); Caleb Pine; Jacob Lindy; Cooper Tunney | |||||
| Baylor Goals: | Seth Kacura (4); Cole Harvey (3); Trey Ponzi (3); Stephen McMillen (2); Jackson Roth; Jack Pistone | |||||
| Exclusions: | California – 16 ; Baylor – 3 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | California – 0-for-3; Baylor – 6-for-16 | |||||
| Sprints: | California – 3-for-4 (1st, 2nd, 4th) ; Baylor – 1-for-4 (3rd) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Don Lewis, Victor Rarau | |||||
Baylor University’s Preston Sanders (#1) attempts to stop a shot against the University of California
Baylor University’s Tony Ponzi (#4) get a shot off as the University of California’s Jacob Lindy (#14) defends
The University of California’s Ryan Elkhouri (#9) eyes an opening as Baylor University’s Seth Kacura (#3) and Preston Sanders (#1) defend
