MALIBU, Calif. — No. 8 Pepperdine water polo (10-8, 0-2 WCC) fell in a narrow 13-12 contest against No. 14 Pacific (9-5, 3-1 WCC) on Friday afternoon from Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.

The Waves trailed throughout the game before tying the score early on in the fourth period,as the Tigers scored three of the final five goals of the game to see out the one-goal victory.

Jon Carcarey netted four goals to lead the Waves while Matty Walsh and Erik Ionescu each added a pair.

"This is a tough loss for the team," said head coach Merrill Moses. "Pacific is a good team and I believe that the WCC is the toughest conference in the country where anyone can beat anyone on any given day. We did not have our best shooting day and had some defensive mistakes that allowed some easy goals. We will learn from our mistakes and plan to have a better game on Sunday versus Air Force."

Pacific jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the opening three-and-a-half minutes of the game, capped by a six-on-five goal. The Waves weathered the storm and got goals from Dane Howell and Csanád Bella to even the score before eventually taking a 4-3 deficit into the second frame.

The two sides played much of the first half at even strength, with just five total exclusions in the opening 16 minutes. Walsh and Carcarey kept Pepperdine within striking distance with goals in the second as Pacific took a 7-5 lead into the break.

The teams traded goals back and forth in an even third period which saw three goals from each side. Carcarey secured his third hat trick in his last four games with a power play score before Adam Blum and Erik Ionescu got themselves on the scoresheet.

Trailing by a pair of goals entering the fourth, Pepperdine battled back to tie the game at ten as Carcarey's fourth of the game evened up the scoreline. The Tigers answered immediately with a goal from Apostolos Georgaras, who paced Pacific with four goals on the day.

Pacific pushed the lead to two again with 3:03 remaining, a goal that was immediately answered by Ionescu to make it 12-11 with 2:41 remaining. Pepperdine went a man-down on the ensuing possession, with Georgraras finding the back of the net once again to make it a two-goal cushion. 

The Waves were stopped on offense which allowed Pacific to run down clock in the closing minute, as a goal from Sandor Gal with four seconds remaining brought the final score to 13-12.

Game Notes

• Jon Carcarey led the Waves with four goals and an assist.
• Dane Howell logged a goal and three assists to go along with a steal and two field blocks.
• Matty Walsh continued his strong scoring prowess this season with a pair of goals.
• Sandor Gal added four points with three assists and a goal.
• Gal continues to pace the Waves with 58 points on the season.
• Erik Ionescu recorded two goals in the effort to go along with an assist.
• Csanád Bella had two field blocks and netted a goal.
• Jaxon Leach came off the bench to make five saves in the cage for Pepperdine.
• Adam Blum scored his ninth goal of the season in the effort.

The Waves will return on Sunday at home to take on Air Force in another conference matchup slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

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.

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