HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Goalkeeper Kameron Warren (Sr., La Jolla, Calif.) made eight saves to collect Player of the Game recognition as Sierra Pacific Division regular season champion/No. 3-ranked California State University-Chico outlasted host/Southeast Division Champion/No. 20 the University of Alabama, 11-9, in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted at the Huntsville Aquatics Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
The victory advances the Wildcats – which claimed Fifth Place at the 2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship – into a 5:10 p.m. Central semifinal later today versus Pacific Coast Division Champion/No. 1/defending National Champion California Polytechnic State University with a spot in the National Championship game on Sunday, November 8, at 12:45 p.m. at stake.
Alabama – which previously placed fourth (2025) and 11th (2022) with ties at 13th (2021, 2023) and 15th (2017, 2018, 2019) at the Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship – will take on Atlantic Division Champion/No. 19 the University of Virginia at 4:00 p.m. to determine which team plays for Fifth Place on November 8. The loser of the Crimson Tide’s next game will battle for Seventh Place.
Cal State Chico raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter as Cameron Reed (Jr., Rocklin, Calif.) (6:48) and Joseph Stanbridge (Jr., Huntington Beach, Calif.) (4:42; 2:48) deposited balls into the cage. Jason Tockstein (San Diego, Calif.) (1:35, man-up) and Landon Kenny (Pleasanton, Calif.) erased the majority of Alabama’s deficit prior to the close of the first quarter as the Crimson Tide pulled to within 3-2 after seven minutes of competition.
The teams traded goals in the second quarter as Tockstein balanced the scoreboard 46 seconds into the second quarter (6:14), Reed returned Chico to the lead at 4-3 (5:44) and William Rigazzi (Virginia Beach, Va.) leveled the damage at four-all (3:40).
Alabama acquired its inaugural lead of the game at 2:32 as Kenny put away a shot to push the Crimson Tide ahead 5-4. Stanbridge (2:06) made it five-all prior to Kenny striking again with 24 seconds left in the second quarter to stake Alabama to a 6-5 halftime margin.
Hank Wildenradt (Sr., Rocklin, Calif.) flipped the script in the opening moments of the third quarter by firing in strikes at 5:55 and 5:19 to place Cal State-Chico back in front at 7-6. Kenny notched an equalizer at 2:53, Rhett Wildenradt (Sr., Rocklin, Calif.) put the Wildcats ahead 8-7 at 1:06 and Rigazzi notched a tying goal with 52 seconds on the clock prior to Stanbridge posting his fourth marker of the morning with 31 seconds until the conclusion of the frame to make it 9-8 in favor of Chico through 21 minutes.
Griffin Marks (So., Walnut Creek, Calif.) (2:24) and Reed (53 seconds, man-up) padded Chico’s lead to 11-8 before Tockstein contributed his third goal of the game with 47 seconds remaining in regulation to establish the 11-9 final score.
Kenny (four), Tockstein (three) and Rigazzi (two) combined for Alabama’s offense with goalkeeper Aaron Rivera (Elmhurst, Ill.) making eight saves.
Stanbridge (four), Reed (three), H. Wildenradt (two), Marks and R. Wildenradt accounted for Chico’s offensive output.
California State University-Chico’s Hank Wildenradt (#8) & University of Alabama’s Chuck O’Connor (#21)
California State University-Chico’s Kameron Warren (#1)
California State University-Chico’s Hank Wildenradt (#8) & University of Alabama’s Hank Jaffe (#4)
