LOS ANGELES, Calif. –Sophomore Ian Fleenor scored the game-winner in sudden death overtime as No. 10 UC Irvine beat No. 9 Pepperdine 8-7 In the seventh place game at the Mountain Pacific Invitational held at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.

The Anteaters snapped a two-game losing skid and improved to 8-4 overall, while the Waves go to 13-5.

Seniors Robby Stiefel and Lovre Milos led UCI with a pair of goals apiece. Ryan Warde, Bryant Joudrie and Fynn Schuetze joined Fleenor with a goal against the Waves. Stiefel also had a team-high three steals.

Matej Matijevic posted 15 saves and one steal in goal.

Marko Asic and Mark Urban had a team-high two goals for Pepperdine. Goalkeeper Zack Rhodes had 20 saves in regulation.

Robby Stiefel opened the game, recording his 10th goal of the season at 4:36 which was quickly answered by the Waves on a penalty shot at 4:13, 1-1. Lovre Milos put his name in the scoring column with a goal at 3:20 then with a man advantage, Pepperdine tied the score at 2 all with just under a minute to play.

In the second period, another Anteater exclusion led to a Pepperdine goal at 6:23. At 3:47, Stiefel connected again from a pass by Fynn Schuetze, 3-3.  Sam Paur put the Waves back in front at 3:11, giving Peperdine the 4-3 advantage at the half.

Schuetze knotted the score with a goal at 7:10 of the third period. A power play goal by Sean Thomas pushed Pepperdine back in front 5-4 heading in to the final period.

UCI's Bryant Joudrie tied it up at 5:34 (5-5) then Mark Urban would record a goal for Pepperdine at 2:05, 6-5. Ryan Warde put the ball in the cage at 1:52, tying the game at 6-6 to end the scoring in regulation and send the game in to extra time.

In the first overtime, Ian Fleenor drew an exclusion with just two seconds left on the clock and Milos put away the penalty shot to give UCI a 7-6 advantage.
Kenneth Keller scored the lone goal in the second overtime period sending the game to sudden death, 7-7.

Fleenor fired the game-winner with 46 seconds in sudden death to lift the Anteaters to an 8-7 victory.

UCI returns home to host UCLA next Saturday (Sept. 30) for a noon game at the Anteater Aquatics Center
 
SCORING BY PERIOD
UC Irvine             2-1-1-2-1-0-1-8
Pepperdine        2-2-1-1-0-1-0-7

SCORING
UCI: Stiefel 2, Milos 2, Schuetze 1, Joudrie 1, Warde 1, Fleenor 1
PEP: Asic 2, Urban 2, Toth 1, Paur 1, Keller 1

GOALKEEPING
UCI: Matijevic 13
PEP: Rhodes 20, Marco 2