Waves Suffer Close Loss in Final Non-Conference Game
IRVINE, Calif. – The #7 Pepperdine men's water polo team dropped its last non-conference game to #9 UC Irvine in a highly contested top-10 matchup at Anteater Aquatics Complex on Sunday afternoon.
The Anteaters (14-7) narrowly outshot the Waves (17-6) .406 to .364, while both teams converted four of their power play opportunities.
BIG WAVES
UC Irvine scored the first goal of the game, but Hosea converted a 6-on-5 opportunity to tie the contest 1-all halfway through the first quarter. After a three-goal run by the Anteaters, Hosea found the back of the cage once again, this time on a penalty shot, to make it a 4-2 game heading into the second quarter.
On the Waves' first possession of the second period, the fifth year attacker from San Clemente, Calif. continued to find success on offense as he earned his 12th hat-trick of the year. Hosea found the back of the net once more, but UC Irvine scored three of the games' next four goals to take a 7-4 lead with 5:08 left in the half. The Waves then outscored the Anteaters 3-2 to close the first stanza as Milo Joseph (Malibu, Calif.), Gal and Ionescu all found the back of the cage to make it a two-goal game in favor of UC Irvine at the break, 9-7.
The start of the second half saw physical play from both teams and a highly competitive, yet scoreless first four minutes. After the halfway mark of the third quarter, Max Smirnov (Petah Tikva, Israel) came up with a save on the defensive end before Ionescu scored his second goal of the game to cut the deficit in half and bring the Waves within one, 9-8. UC Irvine then scored back-to-back goals, but a strong finish to the quarter from Pepperdine's juniors from Budapest, Hungary - Csapo and Gal - would keep the Waves within two and in striking distance with eight minutes to play.
The Anteaters increased their lead to three, but Gal's third goal of the game brought Pepperdine back within two with 4:25 left in the contest. Jackson Benners (Dallas, Texas) then made it a one-goal game with 2:08 left. Three more stops by the Waves gave them possession of the ball and one more opportunity to tie things up with less than 10 seconds to play. A last second attempt to tie the game by the Waves sailed wide of the cage, and UC Irvine held on to defeat Pepperdine 13-12.
UCI 4-5-3-1 — 13
PEPP 2-5-3-2 — 12
Pepperdine goals: Christian Hosea 4, Sandor Gal 3, Erik Ionescu 2, Jackson Benners 1, Adam Csapo 1, Milo Joseph 1.
UP NEXT
The Waves return home to Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool and will continue conference play with a matchup against #17 Santa Clara on Friday, November 1 at 1 p.m. The first 100 fans at Friday's contest will receive a free WCC champion rally towel. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, and a link to the stream can be found on the water polo team's schedule page on pepperdinewaves.com.
FOLLOW
Follow @PeppWaterPolo on X for updates and check out PepperdineWaves.com and Facebook (/PeppWaterPolo) for releases and more information. Find the Waves on Instagram @peppwaterpolo.
The Anteaters (14-7) narrowly outshot the Waves (17-6) .406 to .364, while both teams converted four of their power play opportunities.
BIG WAVES
- Junior attacker Adam Csapo (Budapest, Hungary) scored one goal, dished out two assists and collected two steals.
- Junior attacker Sandor Gal (Budapest, Hungary) earned his third hat-trick of the year.
- Fifth year attacker Christian Hosea (San Clemente, Calif.) tallied four goals, two assists and one drawn exclusion.
- Freshman attacker Erik Ionescu (Budapest, Hungary) had a pair of goals and assists to go along with two drawn exclusions and one steal.
UC Irvine scored the first goal of the game, but Hosea converted a 6-on-5 opportunity to tie the contest 1-all halfway through the first quarter. After a three-goal run by the Anteaters, Hosea found the back of the cage once again, this time on a penalty shot, to make it a 4-2 game heading into the second quarter.
On the Waves' first possession of the second period, the fifth year attacker from San Clemente, Calif. continued to find success on offense as he earned his 12th hat-trick of the year. Hosea found the back of the net once more, but UC Irvine scored three of the games' next four goals to take a 7-4 lead with 5:08 left in the half. The Waves then outscored the Anteaters 3-2 to close the first stanza as Milo Joseph (Malibu, Calif.), Gal and Ionescu all found the back of the cage to make it a two-goal game in favor of UC Irvine at the break, 9-7.
The start of the second half saw physical play from both teams and a highly competitive, yet scoreless first four minutes. After the halfway mark of the third quarter, Max Smirnov (Petah Tikva, Israel) came up with a save on the defensive end before Ionescu scored his second goal of the game to cut the deficit in half and bring the Waves within one, 9-8. UC Irvine then scored back-to-back goals, but a strong finish to the quarter from Pepperdine's juniors from Budapest, Hungary - Csapo and Gal - would keep the Waves within two and in striking distance with eight minutes to play.
The Anteaters increased their lead to three, but Gal's third goal of the game brought Pepperdine back within two with 4:25 left in the contest. Jackson Benners (Dallas, Texas) then made it a one-goal game with 2:08 left. Three more stops by the Waves gave them possession of the ball and one more opportunity to tie things up with less than 10 seconds to play. A last second attempt to tie the game by the Waves sailed wide of the cage, and UC Irvine held on to defeat Pepperdine 13-12.
UCI 4-5-3-1 — 13
PEPP 2-5-3-2 — 12
Pepperdine goals: Christian Hosea 4, Sandor Gal 3, Erik Ionescu 2, Jackson Benners 1, Adam Csapo 1, Milo Joseph 1.
UP NEXT
The Waves return home to Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool and will continue conference play with a matchup against #17 Santa Clara on Friday, November 1 at 1 p.m. The first 100 fans at Friday's contest will receive a free WCC champion rally towel. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, and a link to the stream can be found on the water polo team's schedule page on pepperdinewaves.com.
FOLLOW
Follow @PeppWaterPolo on X for updates and check out PepperdineWaves.com and Facebook (/PeppWaterPolo) for releases and more information. Find the Waves on Instagram @peppwaterpolo.
