LOS ANGELES – The No. 2 California men's water polo team fell in its final road game of the regular season Saturday at No. 1 UCLA 13-9.

While the Golden Bears (17-4, 2-3 MPSF) had their star center Nikolaos Papanikolaou back in the lineup for the first time since Sept. 24, they were without goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg, who is currently with Team USA in Chile for the Pan American Games.

Junior Jake Howerton led the way with a season-high four goals, notching his second hat trick of the year in the first half. All-American attackers Max Casabella and Roberto Valera finished with three assists and one goal, respectively.

Howerton got out to a hot start with a pair of goals in the first two minutes of the game to give Cal an early 2-0 advantage. The Bruins (21-0, 5-0) put away five of the next six goals, taking a 5-3 lead early in the second.

Albert Ponferrada and Howerton scored on the Bears' next two possessions to tie it 5-5, but UCLA regained its lead back on a pair of power plays to end the half. The Bruins extended to a three-goal advantage late in the third. Cal answered with goals from Howerton and Jake Stone to pull within one, 9-8, with 6:06 left in the game, but was outscored by the Bruins 4-1 over the final six minutes.

With Weinberg out of the lineup, Will Kieckhafer (4 saves) and Kai Seed (2) split time at goalkeeper for the second straight week.

Cal has one more home game before hosting the MPSF Championships on Nov. 17-19. The Bears will have a week off before facing No. 3 Stanford on Senior Day on Nov. 11.

No. 1 UCLA 13, No. 2 California 9
Cal 2 2 2 2 – 18
UCLA 4 3 2 4 – 13
Cal Goals: Jake Howerton 4, Roberto Valera, Nikolaos Papanikolaou, Albert Ponferrada, Marci Szatmary, Jake Stone
UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 3, Ben Liechty 3, Ben Larsen 2, Giorgio Alessandria 2, Frederico Jucå Carsalade, Marcell Szécsi, Gray Carson
Cal Saves: Will Kieckhafer 4, Kai Seed 2
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 13

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