Friday, September 29
Los Angeles, CA
5:00 PM
UCLA
14-0
10
vs
9
Pepperdine
12-3
1
2
3
4
OT
OT
F
Pepperdine (M)
2
2
2
2
0
1
9
UCLA (M)
2
1
4
1
0
1
10
Jack Larsen provided the game-winning sudden victory goal at the 1:04 mark of the third overtime period.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
No. 1 UCLA Outlasts the Waves in Sudden Victory
September 29, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
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LOS ANGELES -- No. 1 UCLA (14-0) denied an upset bid by No. 4 Pepperdine on Friday night, winning 10-9 in sudden victory at the 1:04 mark of the third overtime period at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. UCLA improved to 86-31-1 in the series history against the Waves. The Bruins 14-0 start to the season is their best since opening the 2018 campaign, 18-0.The Bruins had eight players score in the contest, led by two scores each from senior Rafael Real Vergara and freshman Ben Liechty. Senior Makoto Kenney made a triumphant return after missing the last four games and finished with a game-high three points (one goal, two assists), including an assist on the game-winning goal in the third overtime that was powered in by senior Jack Larsen.
Senior Garret Griggs got the start in the cage and went the distance, tallying seven saves to go with two steals while surrendering nine goals.
Both teams battled to a 2-2 draw in the first period. Pepperdine scored the first two goals of the game. Redshirt sophomore Eli Liechty would put the Bruins on the board with a power play goal (2:55) off an assist from freshman Wade Sherlock. Then freshman Ben Liechty tied things up with a power play goal (0:48) to end the scoring in the period.
Pepperdine would take a 4-3 lead into the break after winning the second period, 2-1. Redshirt sophomore Grant Loth opened the scoring with a goal from two meters off a nice feed from redshirt freshman Frederico Jucá Carsalade (7:37) to give the Bruins their first lead of the game at 3-2.
The Bruins won the third period, 4-2, to take a 7-6 lead into the fourth period. Sherlock opened the scoring in the third with a goal from the front court (7:11). After a power play goal from Pepperdine, the Bruins again tied it up (5-5) with a strike from the front court from Kenney (4:03). Real Vergara converted a penalty shot to put the Bruins back in front (2:30). After Pepperdine tied it up, senior Giorgio Alessandria scored after he stole the ball (0:17) to put UCLA back in the lead.
Pepperdine struck first in the fourth with a power play goal to tie it up, but Ben Liechty found the back of the net for the second time on a power play and an assist from Kenney (4:25) to put the Bruins up 8-7. Pepperdine scored a goal at even strength with 3:14 remaining to tie the game at 8-8. Neither team would score in the final minutes of regulation, sending the game into overtime, the Bruins' first of the season.
After a scoreless first overtime period, Pepperdine took the lead with a power play goal with 0:54 to go. But on the next possession, Real Vergara scored his second of the game (0:43) to tie the contest for the eighth time, sending it into sudden victory.
In the third overtime period, each team had two possessions which ended with turnovers. On the Bruins' third and final possession, Alessandria drew an exclusion with 1:17 to go, setting up Jack Larsen's heroics with 1:04 to go.
UP NEXT: The Bruins will take on Air Force tomorrow, Sept. 30, at 6:00 p.m. at Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center. Admission is free.
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Pepperdine (Non-Conference Game - Game 14)
| SCOREBOARD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1OT | 2OT | 3OT | FINAL |
| No. 4 Pepperdine | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| No. 1 UCLA | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
6x5 - UCLA - 4/13 - PEP - 3/12
Penalties - UCLA - 1/1 - PEP - 0/0
PEP Goals: Sandor Gal 2, Adam Csapo 2, Ryan Brosnan 2, Matty Walsh 1, Christian Hosea 1, Nico Tierney 1
PEP Saves: Antonio Knez 10
UCLA Goals: Rafael Real Vergara 2, Ben Liechty 2, Eli Liechty 1, Jack Larsen 1, Wade Sherlock 1, Grant Loth 1, Makoto Kenney 1, Giorgio Alessandria 1
UCLA Saves: Garret Griggs 7
Team Stats
PEP
UCL
Shots
29
32
Goals
9
10
Assists
8
4
Points
17
14
Exclusions
13
12
Steals
8
15
Sprints
2
5
1
Matty Walsh
04:03
Ryan Brosnan
03:29
Eli Liechty
02:55
Ben Liechty
00:48
2
Grant Loth
07:37
Sandor Gal
04:20
Adam Csapo
00:02
3
Wade Sherlock
07:11
Christian Hosea
04:58
Makoto Kenney
04:03
Rafael Real Vergara
02:30
Sandor Gal
01:27
Giorgio Alessandria
00:17
4
Nico Tierney
06:49
Ben Liechty
04:25
Adam Csapo
03:14
6
Ryan Brosnan
00:54
Rafael Real Vergara
00:43
7
Jack Larsen
01:04
Game Leaders
Shots
5
Goals
1
Assists
0
Points
1
Shots
4
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Shots
4
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Shots
3
Goals
1
Assists
2
Points
3
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Men's Water Polo
GK
/ Men's Water PoloATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
/ Men's Water PoloUTL
/ Men's Water Polo
CTR
/ Men's Water Polo
CTR
/ Men's Water PoloATK
/ Men's Water Polo
ATK
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