Cementing their legacy
Elsner, Peter Olson, Gonzolo “Zo” Rivera, Matthew Spry, and tournament MVP Graham McClone — who scored five goals in the championship game, his final as a Triton — have all been members of those three championship squads. Anshul Devnani and Jackson Cassidy played on the first two title teams and were members of the coaching staff this year. UCSD had never won a collegiate water polo title prior to that group’s arrival.
“Some of the guys who had already graduated individually sent each of us a text before the final game, letting us know they were watching, and that they were cheering us on and reminded us of a time we played well or a good moment,” Elsner says. “It was amazing.”
And effective.
Elsner stopped all eight shots he saw and Braden Clark gave UCSD a lead it wouldn’t relinquish just 23 seconds into the first quarter. McClone (five goals), Clark (three) and Andrew Cagney (two) scored 14 of the Tritons’ 17 goals. Connor Stauffer, Filippo Sallustio, and Rivera scored solo goals.
The win caps a historic stretch of dominance that saw the Tritons go 45-0 combined in the past three seasons.
But the tournament wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Tritons. As the two-time defending champs, Elsner says they had “a big ego because we hadn’t lost.”
“Our coach was like, ‘You guys need to realize that you’re going into nationals and the whole tournament wants to beat you,’” Elsner says.
And they nearly did.
Locked in an 8-8 tie at the end of the third quarter in their quarterfinal match against the surprisingly game University of Virginia, the Tritons had to muster up all of the championship mettle they could.
“They were hungry,” Elsner says.
“Virginia had one guy that was from California who knew some of my teammates, and he was just having the game of his life,” says Elsner, who scored a goal from his keeper position earlier in the contest. “He was lighting me up.”
Ultimately, the Tritons did what championship teams do: They buckled down and pulled away in the fourth, putting the clamps on the Cavaliers in the final frame and winning 12-8. From there, things were a bit less dramatic. UCSD followed by beating Cal Poly in the semifinals and Cal Maritime in the finals to mark their place in the record books — and set up an appointment for Elsner with everyone’s favorite mouse.
Elsner’s parents and his sister, who lives in North Carolina, came to support him in Gainesville. Shortly after the whistle sounded and the celebration had halted (but likely not ended), Bryce was whisked away by his family to Orlando to celebrate with Mickey & Co. at nearby Disney World. Bryce, smiling wryly after the fact, couldn’t help but speculate if the proximity to the Happiest Place on Earth wasn’t their “secret reason” to show up and support him.
“We’re a big Disney bunch,” he says.
Flaming Speedos and hugs for everyone
But before Elsner left for the Magic Kingdom, the players huddled around the wooden championship plaque for a quick celebratory photo that would quickly go viral on Instagram. And they did it as only they could, wearing black button-up short-sleeve shirts that show a wall of flames emblazoned on the front. The truly garish fire-adorned shirts and matching Speedos were part of this year’s theme: everyone’s favorite mayor of Flavortown, Guy Fieri. Past year’s themes have included jeans-like Speedos — which they dubbed “Jeetos” — and even tuxedo Speedos. (Or is it tux-Speedos?)
“Bryce is, without a doubt, the best club water polo goalie in the nation,” Aidan Gleason says of Elson, shown here making a save at nationals. “He’s an absolute wall! He is also the single funniest person I've ever met."
“All the guys had ridiculous facial hair to match Guy Fieri’s,” says Elsner, who still sports his own thin brown mustache and brown circular glasses. “We just love doing themes because it brings us together and we all pick things we think are funny. Other teams love it too.”
And keeping things light is something Elsner — known as the comic relief on the team — is seriously good at.
“Bryce is, without a doubt, the best club water polo goalie in the nation,” Gleason says. “He’s an absolute wall! He is also the single funniest person I've ever met. His wit and humor play an integral part in our team's camaraderie. Even when Bryce isn't around, he is a frequent talking point. And when he is around, everyone is surely smiling and bonding.”
Elsner is also a member of the UCSD Esports program and says his teammates on his DOTA 2 squad would likely echo Gleason’s sentiments.
“When I could see guys are clearly down in the dumps, they missed a shot or whatever, jokes are the best way to bring everybody back,” Elsner says.
Gleason says the MCWP team has “helped provide me with my entire collegiate community” noting that his friends, housemates, and even professional contacts are current or former members of the club.
“Whenever we run into each other, it's a hug. It's always a hug,” Elsner says of his teammates. “You might not even be close with a guy, but he's gone through whatever you went through together, so it's a hug.
“They're great. I love them all.”
Elsner, who began his career at the University of Redlands as a Division III athlete before transferring to Mesa Community College and, ultimately UCSD, says the program has benefited him in multiple ways (including developing “the strongest legs on the team, for sure”). He’s now a master of time management, often juggling his schoolwork with water polo, Esports, and social responsibilities. But it’s his voice — which he utilizes to direct his teammates in the tank — and the confidence to use it that has strengthened the most.
“You have to be vocal,” he says. “It made me step up into a leadership-type role, and that transitioned over into school. I used to be timid in talking with professors, but not anymore. Now, I know what I want and I’m going to ask you for it directly. And I think that helped me get into my master’s program because you have to be assertive and differentiate yourself from the other candidates.”
The quest for four?
As to what the future holds, Elsner isn’t sure. He’s currently in the PhD program for material science and engineering and will get his Master of Science by the end of the year. Then he’ll have four more years of schooling before he starts his professional career — meaning four more years of club water polo eligibility… if he wants to use it.
UCSD will return most of its starters next season and will likely be the favorite to repeat as a four-time champion. And the Tritons — continuing to build on the legacy that Elsner, Gleason, and the others have started — should have plenty of motivation left in the tank.
“At that point, the final match was as good as won, because all of a sudden we were 20 guys playing not only for ourselves, but also for our coach, his legacy, and the legacy of our club,” Gleason says. “Winning the championship would have been amazing no matter what, but winning it for Coach added a new dimension to it."
"I'm sure they can't wait for their opportunity to prove themselves."
