IRVINE, Calif. - No. 15 UC Irvine men's water polo team dropped a hard-fought battle against No. 13 Pepperdine on Saturday afternoon at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool. 

The 'Eaters took an early 1-0 lead to start the game before the Waves netted the next two to take the lead and hold it for most of the game. UCI got one back before Pepperdine retook the lead on a penalty shot to end the first quarter up, 3-2. The Anteaters and the Waves each netted three in the second frame to leave Pepperdine up, 6-5, at the end of the first half. Each team found the back of the net twice in the third quarter, leaving the Waves up by one, 8-7, heading into the final period of action. Pepperdine outscored UCI, 4-3, in the fourth to end the match, 12-10. 

BY THE NUMBERS: Junior Johann Thrall led the Anteaters with four goals, followed by Senior Luka Krstic with two tallies and one assist. Cole Francisco recorded one goal and three assists for a four point outing. 

Alex Lopez, Ethan Spoon, and Jack Stevens each added a goal. Zayd Mahmoud recorded 12 saves. 

Jon Carcarey and Erik Ionescu led the Waves with three goals each.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Luka Krstic netted the first one of the game on the power play to give the 'Eaters an early 1-0 lead at the 7:27 mark. The Waves scored the next two to take the lead, 2-1, at the 2:42 mark. Johann Thrall found the back of the net with the man advantage to tie it up, 2-all, at the 1:50 mark. Pepperdine capitalized on a late penalty shot to take the lead, 3-2, at the end of one. 

Thrall tied it back up, 3-all, at the 7:34 mark before the Waves netted one of their own to retake the lead, 4-3. Krstic capitalized on the man advantage at the 5:27 mark to tie it back up, 4-all. Pepperdine netted the next two to retake the lead, 6-4, at the 1:36 mark. Alex Lopez found the back of the net with just 0:04 left to pull within one, 5-6, at the end of the half. 

The Waves netted the first of the period to increase their lead, 7-5, at the 7:36 mark. Ethan Spoon found the back of the net on the man advantage before Thrall added a tally to tie it back up, 7-all. Pepperdine retook the lead, 8-7, heading into the final period of action. 

Jack Stevens netted the equalizer on the power play at the 5:06 mark before Pepperdine answered with a tally of their own to retake the lead, 9-8, at the 4:08 mark. Thrall netted his fourth goal of the game on a penalty shot to tie it up once again, 9-all. The Waves found the back of the net twice before scoring the empty net goal to retake the lead, 12-9. Cole Francisco added a tally with 0:02 remaining to end it, 12-10.