National League 2025

General
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Can somebody tell me if we need to purchase tickets beforehand? Fingers crossed admission is free.

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Free admission, I believe.

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Confirmed free admission. Collectible tickets may be available but entry is free

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Thanks for posting the rosters, WPWednesday. On paper, this is the strongest National League championship tournament I can remember.

My predictions:

  1. Mission (UCLA). LAAC has the strongest roster but I’m picking Mission to beat LAAC in the championship game because Mission has played together longer and Brett Ormsby is a great coach.

  2. LAAC. LAAC’s roster is stacked even without Denes Varga (38) and Filip Filipovic (will turn 38 next month). It will be hard to find playing time for all of the good to great players on this all-star team.

  3. NYAC. NYAC has a very good team but I don’t think they will beat Mission or LAAC.

  4. Olympic Club. Any team with Johnny Hooper and Paul Reynolds shouldn’t be taken lightly but the Olympic Club’s roster isn’t quite as strong as it has been in recent years.

  5. Trojan (USC). Trojan could upset NYAC in the 4/5 game.

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119

Our colleague, Rb, correctly informed me that, because we are in the “20-hour period” for men’s college water polo, the college teams at the National League championship tournament must be coached by one of their college coaches. Therefore, Matt Kubeck will be the head coach for Mission/UCLA, not Brett Ormsby.

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What would happen if you had a NL team with athletes from different programs?

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I believe earlier in the NL season. If the program was operating as a club (USAWP) and not a NCAA team in their 20 hr a week spring season, they could play up recruits and had to be coached by someone other than their team coaches. Once the teams hit their 20 hr a week season (not all on the same date), the college coach could now coach and only kids currently enrolled in the school. Some are past that season now so you may see some recruits back, I think some are later due to making the NCAA finals (later end date to season), I could be wrong on that. There were some games that recruits on one team had to sit our because the other team was “in season” but their team was not quite in theirs.

I would like to see a no transfer rule for NL. I see lots of kids who played on two teams. That is not allowed in Futures without a sit-out period. Would not be allowed in a college season. Sort of takes the team spirit thing out of the NL. How do you play for one team all season and then switch for the championship? How is that fair for the teams that did not qualify?

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Marco, I assume you’re asking about athletes from different colleges playing for the same National League club team. It must be permissible because LAAC’s roster includes athletes who are scheduled to play for Stanford, Cal, Fordham, and San Jose State in the fall, and NYAC’s roster includes athletes who are scheduled to play for Pepperdine, Princeton, Fordham, and Stanford (if G.P. Di Martire plays for Stanford as a graduate student).

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Yes those players are playing for a club that is not affiliated with their school.

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Agree if the goal is to have a serious pro league. But this turned into an exhibition when they decided to fly over Filipovic and Varga for the finals.

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125

Anyone at Mt SAC? Is the LAAC/US game being played? Scores not updated on 6-8.

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O club handled LB in the first quarterfinal.

LAAC was played tough by USA pipeline for the first half but LAAC has opened it up here in the second half. Currently 13-8 LAAC with 5:22 to play.

I’ll be here all day update scores as they happen here.

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127

Awesome. Thanks so much!

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15-13 LAAC win. A little push by USA near the end but not enough.

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Overngt coverage is pretty good. Pay the :blush: to support.

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Wish I could be on deck or on couch.

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Mission (UCLA) over Channel Cats in the third quarterfinal

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How to fill up a scorebook - Ryder Dodd in the game against Channel Cats:

4 goals on 9 shots, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 3 drawn exclusions, no turnovers, and 1 for 1 in his sprints.

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In the first semifinal, OClub leads LAAC 10-5 at half.

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And OClub beats LAAC 18-16 to earn the first spot in the NL finals. Kind of a wild game.