HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Hugh Flander (Fr., Danville, Calif.) and Harry Flander (Jr., Danville, Calif.) both scored three times to share Player of the Game recognition as Texas Division Champion/No. 9-ranked the University of Texas topped host the University of Alabama, 15-9, in the final game on Day One of the 2021 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship at the Huntsville Aquatics Center.
Courtesy the victory after suffering a 9-6 loss to Sierra Pacific Division Champion/No. 3 University of California, the Longhorns punch their ticket to a showdown with New York Division Champion Cornell University at 1:40 p.m. on Saturday, November 13, with a spot in the tournament’s Ninth Place game at stake. A loss by Texas to Cornell will drop the Longhorns into the 11th Place game at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 14, while a win places Texas into the Ninth Place contest at 2:15 p.m,
The loss by Alabama – the second of the weekend for the Crimson Tide following an opening game 13-7 defeat by Missouri Valley Division Champion/No. 16 McKendree University – drops the team into a 13th/15th place game at 8:40 p.m. on Saturday, November 14, versus Southeast Division Champion the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Alabama, which completed a perfect 8-0 Atlantic Division regular season slate with a 7-6 defeat of Georgia Tech on September 26 at the University of Tennessee, is 1-1 versus the Yellow Jackets this year. Alabama dropped a 16-13 game to the University of Florida “A”, while Georgia Tech suffered a 12-4 loss to Florida State University in the semifinals during the combined Florida and Southeast Division Championship on Saturday, October 30, at Florida State. In the Third Place game on October 31, Georgia Tech clipped the Crimson Tide, 13-8, to claim the Southeast Division crown.
- Alabama jumped on top early in the contest versus Texas as Brian Kent (So., Marietta, Ga.) and Aidan Ramirez (Jr., Merced, Calif.) buried chances at 6:40 and 5:45 in the first quarter to stake the Crimson Tide to a 2-0 lead.
- Harry Flander put Texas on the board at 5:04, but Nick Ward (Jr., Elmhurst, Ill.) delivered a counterpoint for the Longhorns at 4:36 to return the spread to a pair at 3-1
- Zach De Haaff (So., Menlo Park, Calif.) and Mark Weisberg (Jr., Dallas, Texas) tied the game with back-to-back strikes at 4:16 and 1:43, respectively, as the teams exited the opening frame tied at three-all.
- Texas pulled ahead 4-3 at 5:19 of the second quarter via a marker by Harry Flander, but Gabe Lacasella (So., Marietta, Georgia) ripped in an equalizer at 3:56 to square the squads at four-all. Texas regained the lead prior to the conclusion of the second quarter as Hugh Flander buried a penalty shot with 33 seconds left prior to Ryan Park (Fr., Dallas, Texas) converting for an even-strength tally at the 12 seconds mark for a 6-4 Longhorns’ lead at the break.
- Alabama rallied back as Drew Wangard (Fr., Kildeer, Ill.) ticked off back-to-back scores at 5:43 and 4:48 in the third quarter to knot the game at six-all.
- Texas returned the favor with consecutive goals courtesy five-meter penalty shots by Liam Veazey (Sr., Dallas, Texas) and Aayan Khasigawala (Fr., Dallas, Texas) at 4:34 and 3:37, respectively, to acquire an 8-6 lead.
- Wangard cut the Longhorns’ lead in half with a strike at 3:18, but Harry Flander (1:25) and Evan Sayer (So., Austin, Texas) (18 seconds) drilled in man-up tallies to expand Texas’ lead to 10-7 entering the fourth quarter.
- The spread continued to grow in the dawning moments of the fourth quarter as Veazey (6:09), Park (5:01, penalty shot) and Hugh Flander (3:43) put away chances in order to provide Texas a 13-7 margin with under four minutes to play in regulation.
- Wangard attempted to start a comeback for Alabama by putting away an opportunity at 2:47, but Hugh Flander answered with 43 seconds on the clock by cashing in on a man-up chance to return the lead to six at 14-8 before goalie Ming Zhao (Sr., Austin, Texas) made it 15-8 with 21 seconds to go.
- Ramirez closed out the scoring with a penalty shot at the 20 second mark to shrink Texas’ margin of victory down to 15-9 prior to the final horn.
- For Texas, the Flanders combined for six goals, while Park and Veazey both chipped in pairs. Sayer, Weisberg, De Haaff, Khasigawala and Zhao each recorded solo markers.
- Wangard led the way for Alabama with four goals. Ramirez deposited a pair with Kent, Lacasella and Ward each accounting for single markers.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| University of Texas |
3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | – | 15 |
| University of Alabama | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | 9 |
| Alabama Goals: | Drew Wangard (4); Aidan Ramirez (2); Brian Kent; Gabe Lacasella; Nick Ward | |||||
| Texas Goals: | Hugh Flander (3); Harry Flander (3); Ryan Park (2); Liam Veazey (2); Evan Sayer; Mark Weisberg; Zach De Haaff; Aayan Khasigawala; Ming Zhao | |||||
| Exclusions: | Alabama – 16 ; Texas – 10 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | Alabama – 1-for-10 ; Texas – 7-for-16 | |||||
| Sprints: | Alabama – 2-for-4 (1st, 2nd) ; Texas – 2-for- 4 (3rd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Victor Rarau; Brandon Nicholson | |||||
University of Texas’ Liam Veazey (#11) goes for a steal against the University of Alabama
University of Alabama goalie James Carr (#1)
University of Texas’ Hugh Flander (#14)
