MALIBU, Calif. — No. 8 Pepperdine water polo (10-7, 0-1 WCC) picked up a 15-12 victory at home over No. 13 Princeton (14-6, 4-1 NWPC) on Sunday afternoon from Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.

The Waves led wire-to-wire to collect their second victory of the season over the Tigers, bouncing back from a midweek defeat at No. 15 California Baptist.

Owen Tift had a breakthrough game for Pepperdine with a career-high five goals and eight points.

Jon Carcarey deposited four goals to go along with two steals and a field block while Matty Walsh netted a hat trick for the Waves.

Max Smirnov was strong in the cage, posting 12 stops while allowing 12 goals.

"I'm proud of our team and the effort and preparation that they put into this game," said head coach Merrill Moses. "They were very focused and played great defense that led to good offense throughout the whole game. It was nice to be back and playing in front of our home crowd. We appreciate all of the fans that came to the game to support the team."

The Pepperdine defense dominated the early stages of the game, with the Tigers not scoring a natural goal until the 4:21 mark of the second period. Carcarey netted the first two goals of the game, with the first coming off an assist from Smirnov who found his teammate in transition after an early save.

Princeton got its lone goal of the opening frame on a five-meter penalty with 1:21 left, as the Waves took a 2-1 lead into period two.

Tift began to take over as the second began, scoring the next two goals, both coming off assists from Sandor Gal. Gal would go on to score two of his own before the half, with a late tally from Jackson Benners bringing the score to a 7-4 advantage for the Waves at the half.

Tift and Walsh continued the offensive prowess for the Waves, each scoring twice in the third period as Carcarey also netted his hat trick with an extra-man goal. The Waves outscored the Tigers 6-4 in the frame, building up an eventual 13-8 advantage heading into the final eight minutes.

After an early goal from Carcarey pushed the lead to six goals, the Tigers began to battle back with four straight tallies which made it a 14-12 game with 1:56 remaining. 

Pepperdine got the stop it needed next, as a goal from Walsh sealed the game in the final minute, bringing the final scoreline to 15-12.

GAME NOTES

• Owen Tift led the Waves with five goals and three assists on the afternoon, each marking a new career-high.
• Jon Carcarey scored four goals for the second time in three games.
• Matty Walsh continued his strong stretch with a hat trick.
• Walsh has now recorded six three-plus goal efforts on the season, including three times in the past six games.
• Max Smirnov registered 12 saves to earn the win in the cage for the Waves.
• Sandor Gal added two goals and two assists, bringing his season-long total to a team-high 54 points. 
• Jackson Benners posted a goal and two steals.
• Seven of Pepperdine's 10 wins this season have come against ranked opponents.
• The Waves improve to 7-2 all-time against Princeton.
• Pepperdine is now 10-4 at home across the past two seasons.
• The Waves are 7-0 this season when scoring 15 or more goals.

The Waves return on Friday for a WCC matchup at home against No. 18 Pacific, with gametime set for 1 p.m. from Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE WATER POLO
Pepperdine water polo has seen success spanning decades under Terry Schroeder who gave the reins to Merrill Moses following the 2023 season. Highlighted by its national championship in 1997 with Moses as the starting goalie, the Waves have reached the NCAA Tournament on 13 occasions and recently won the inaugural WCC Regular Season Championship in 2023. Overall, the program has seen 60 athletes garner All-American honors while boasting a winning record in 36 of 50 seasons.

TICKETS
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.

FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine water polo news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineMWP.