HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Rocky Mountain Division runner-up the University of Colorado utilized an 8-2 scoring run in the second half to outdistance Northwest Division Champion/No. 11-ranked University of Oregon, 15-6, in the opening round of the 2026 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the University of Alabama and the Huntsville Sports Commission at the Huntsville Aquatics Center.
The win places Colorado – which made the championship field as the Rocky Mountain Division representative following the election of division champion the University of Utah to not compete at Nationals – into a 12:30 p.m. Central quarterfinal versus Texas Division Champion/No. 7 Texas A&M University.
Oregon will square-off with Missouri Valley Division Champion Iowa State University – which fell to Texas A&M by an 18-7 count in an earlier first round game – at 7:30 p.m. this evening in a consolation game.
For the Ducks, Elias Pyka (Fr., Encinitas, Calif.) scored four times with Hunter Kotar (So., Eugene, Ore.) tacking on a pair. Nathan Sands (Fr., Albany, Ore.) turned aside five shots in taking the loss between the pipes.
Co-Players of the Game Chase Weddell (Fr., Temecula, Calif.) and Tyler Patay (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) keyed the Colorado attack with five goals, while Cole Lawrence (Fr., San Ramon, Calif.) stuffed in a pair to accompany solo strikes by Simone Abboud (Fr., San Diego, Calif.), Ron Zamir (Jr., Palo Alto, Calif.) and Matteo Petty (Sr., Orinda, Calif.).
JP Duran (Fr., Prosper, Texas) made 12 saves to pick-up the victory in cage for the Buffaloes.
University of Oregon’s Drew Clapham (#18) & University of Colorado’s Tyler Patay (#12)
University of Oregon’s Ethan Van Es (#4)
University of Colorado’s Tyler Patay (#12) attempts to score as the University of Oregon’s Elias Pyka (#21) defends
