Nov. 28, 2003
LONG BEACH, CA - Sophomore center defender Michael March scored three goals to lead all scorers and lift UCLA (19-6) to a 7-5 victory over sixth-seeded Pepperdine. The third-seeded Bruins will face the winner of the Stanford/UC Irvine match at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow night at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.
The Waves took an early lead as Jesse Smith found the back of the net after only a minute and a half of play. However, March would begin his offensive surge and tie the score at 1-1 at the 2:53 mark. After Smith regained the lead for Pepperdine, UCLA rattled off three unanswered goals, including another from March, to take a 4-2 lead after the first period.
Pepperdine scored two goals to start the second period and evened the score at 4-4. An extra-man goal from David Pietsch would give UCLA a 5-4 advantage at the half.
UCLA kept the Waves off the board in the third period and lengthened its lead with goals from March and Ted Peck. After three quarters, the Bruins led 7-4.
Only 33 seconds into the final frame, Josh Acosta brought the Waves within two goals of the Bruins. However, Pepperdine would not score again as UCLA claimed the victory.
Brett Ormsby and Chris Pulido also scored for the Bruins, as goalkeeper Joe Axelrad posted eight saves.
1-2-3-4=F
#6 Pepperdine 2-2-0-1=5
#3 UCLA 4-1-3-0=7
Pepperdine - Smith (2), Acosta (2), Hausmann
UCLA - March (3), Peck, Ormsby, Pulido, Pietsch
Goalkeepers - PEPP - Tait (7 GA A, 11 saves), UCLA - Axelrad (5 GA A, 8 saves)