BERKELEY – For the 14^th time in program history and with the weight of an entire Cal community behind it, the Cal men's water polo team is national champion yet again.

Over time, those words will sink in for the 16 Golden Bears that rallied for an 11-8 overtime victory over No. 1-ranked USC on Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Complex. But, as night fell over Berkeley and the energy inside Cal's home pool continued to resonate, the Bears were left with one undeniable truth as they carried the celebration forward.

The legacy of Cal Water Polo has a new chapter – and a new trophy – to celebrate.

On this occasion, the heroes were easy to spot. After rallying from two goals down at the start of the fourth period, No. 3 Cal (23-4) struck first in the first overtime. A 5-meter penalty shot by Johnny Hooper got the Bears started, and after a goal by USC's James Walters tied the score at 8, senior Farrel South found the slightest space between USC goalkeeper McQuin Baron and the post, firing it past the Olympian for a 9-8 lead with one minute left in overtime.

Perhaps the biggest blow came just before the horn sounded to end the first overtime period. Given one final shot with nearly no time remaining, Luca Cupido fired one of the season's most memorable goals, scoring from long distance as the buzzer sounded to make it 10-8 with three minutes left.

Defense took center stage over the final three minutes, and a combination of Cal's defenders and tournament MVP Lazar Andric in goal proved an insurmountable task for the Trojans. Freshman Safak Simsek added a goal with time running down and the Bears jumped into the pool to celebrate another national championship in front of a home crowd.

"I think that's something that makes it a little bit different," said head coach Kirk Everist, who captured his third title as a coach. "When they walk out, none of us leave. (With) what Pete Cutino and Steve Heaston built for us as players, they feel a great sense of pride and it's a privilege to be a part of this program. And, they come back, and that's why we fill this place. I've never won a championship here. I coached and lost one here and the next year we didn't make it, so winning it here is something that I will never forget."

That Cal even had a chance to play overtime was a testament to the Bears' resilience. Trailing 5-3 entering the fourth period, goals by Conor Neumann and Cupido tied the score and, though the teams traded blows from then until the end of the period, Cal hung on to remain tied at 7 entering extra time.

One constant throughout the win was the play of Andric. His tournament MVP award was well-deserved as, one day after making 16 saves in the Bears' overtime win over UCLA, Cal's senior goalkeeper made 14 more big stops in the title win. Simsek, only a freshman, led the Bears in scoring with a hat trick while Cupido and Hooper each scored two.

"I think at the beginning, we were a little tired from yesterday's game but we knew if we kept a good defense, we were going to be able to win this game," Andric said. "As coach said, progressively we improved our defense and I personally knew we were going to win after the fourth quarter."

With the win, Cal adds another championship to a total that already led the nation and it is the Bears' first since 2007. While Andric was named tournament MVP, Cupido, Odysseas Masmanidis and Johnny Hooper were each named first team All-NCAA Tournament. Neumann was named to the second team.

"My brother played here and in his freshman year, they lost to USC in sudden death here in Berkeley in the NCAAs," Cupido said. "He told me how he had nightmares for weeks after about that game. Things he could've done better, what the team could have done better. I told him I'm going to win for him too, because this is a team effort. If you're a Bear, it's not only for the four years you're here but even when you're done."