UCLA
Pepperdine
No. 1 UCLA Hammers No. 9 Pepperdine
October 02, 2015 | Men's Water Polo
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MALIBU, Calif., -- The top-ranked UCLA Bruins improved to 12-0 on the year and 1-0 in the MPSF with an 18-8 win at No. 9 Pepperdine (6-6, 0-1) in the league opener for both squads on Friday afternoon at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.
Junior Ryder Roberts scored four goals in the first period and finished with a career-high seven goals to lead the Bruins in a wire-to-wire victory. The Bruins improved to 75-31-1 all-time against Pepperdine, their 13th consecutive win against the Waves (since 2009).
UCLA jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never looked back. Roberts scored the first two from the front court (7:31, 6:38) and then sophomore Max Irving added a goal from the front court (5:40) to make it 3-0. Roberts then completed a hat trick with a power play goal (4:58), followed by two goals from the front court by senior Anthony Daboub (3:47, 2:13) as the Bruins led 6-0. Pepperdine's Wesley Sherburne scored a power play goal to make it 6-1 (1:01), but Roberts would notch his fourth with an exclusion goal (0:18) to end the scoring in the first with UCLA leading 7-1.
UCLA was hammered with five exclusions and a penalty in the second but still managed to outscore the Waves 4-3 without any extra man opportunities. Sherburne scored his second for the Waves to make it 7-2 after his power play goal (7:37). Roberts scored his fifth with a front court strike (3:55) but Pepperdine got its first goal at full strength from Kenneth Keller (3:37) to make it 8-3. Then sophomore Matt Farmer scored back-to-back goals at set (3:10, 2:37) to push the lead to 10-3. A Mark Urban penalty goal (1:33) would pull the Waves to within six, but Irving found the back of the net from the front court (1:09) to end the scoring with the Bruins leading 11-4 at the half.
The third period was even crazier than the second with Pepperdine getting another five power play opportunities and a penalty shot in the period, but the Bruins still outscored the Waves 5-4, thanks to making good on all three of their power plays. The Waves got a long distance goal from Keller (7:31) and another power play goal, this time from Brock Liebhardt (6:29) to cut the lead to 11-6. But junior Gordon Marshall scored a power play goal (6:00) and Irving completed his hat trick (5:00) to extend the lead to 13-6. After another penalty score for Pepperdine cut the lead to 13-7, Roberts converted a power play, for his sixth goal (4:01) and sophomore Alex Roelse added an exclusion goal (2:57) to give UCLA a 15-7 lead. Marko Asic would score a power play goal (2:25) for Pepperdine and freshman Spencer Farrar would score from the front court (1:46) for UCLA to end the third with the Bruins doubling up the Waves, 16-8.
The Bruins dominated the fourth, pitching a shutout to win the period 2-0. The Bruins defense was spectacular, especially the play of junior goalkeeper Garrett Danner, who picked up a save and a steal on Pepperdine power plays (the Waves went 0-for-4 in the final period) and also rejected a penalty shot. UCLA's goals came from the front court as senior Daniel McClintick scored to make it 17-8 (5:14) and Roberts scored his seventh (3:17) to provide the 18-8 final.
Danner played all four periods, picking up 10 saves and six steals while allowing a season-high eight goals (four on power plays and two penalty scores). Zack Rhodes started in the cage for Pepperdine, going the distance for eight saves while allowing 18 goals.
UCLA went 4-for-5 on power plays while Pepperdine went 4-for-17. The 17 exclusions were the most called on UCLA in the last four years and the margin of disparity of 12 was also the largest. The Bruins didn't attempt a penalty shot while the Waves went 2-for-3.
The Bruins will step out of conference tomorrow for a Noon match at No. 19 Loyola Marymount.
No. 1 UCLA at No. 9 Pepperdine (MPSF Opener)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| No. 1 UCLA | 7 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 18 |
| No. 9 Pepperdine | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
6x5 - UCLA - 4/5 - Pepperdine - 4/17
Penalties - UCLA - 0/0 - Pepperdine - 2/3
UCLA Goals: Ryder Roberts 7, Max Irving 3, Anthony Daboub 2, Matt Farmer 2, Daniel McClintick 1, Alex Roelse 1, Spencer Farrar 1, Gordon Marshall 1
UCLA Saves: Garrett Danner 10
Pepperdine Goals: Wesley Sherburne 2, Marko Asic 2, Kenneth Keller 2, Mark Urban 1, Brock Leibhardt 1
Pepperdine Saves: Zack Rhodes 8
