UCI pulls rank on Waves

UC Irvine junior Dreason Barry scored five goals to lead the

Anteaters to a 9-7 nonconference men’s water polo win over Pepperdine

Sunday at Anteater Aquatics Complex.

Senior Rick Merlo added a pair of goals as the Anteaters (9-8)

snapped a five-game losing streak in the contest between teams

sharing the No. 8 national ranking.

Barry’s fourth goal gave UCI a 5-1 lead with 5:05 remaining in the

second quarter, but the Waves battled back, cutting the margin to 5-4

on a goal by Grant Miller with 3:04 left before halftime.

The Anteaters took a 7-5 lead at the half, but Pepperdine’s Josh

Acosta and Tom Jasper notched goals to tie the game, 7-7, with 3:08

left in the third quarter.

Merlo scored an extra-man goal with 2:24 remaining in the third

and Barry scored his final goal on a power play with 5:43 left in the

contest.

UCI goalie Joe Wynne tied his career high with 14 saves, including

five in the fourth quarter.

Miller led the Waves (9-8) with three goals and Jasper added two,

while Robbie Miller had six saves for the visitors.

The Anteaters host No. 15 University of the Pacific Saturday and

No. 4 Cal Sunday in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation games

beginning at noon.

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Nonconference

UCI 9, Pepperdine 7

Score by Quarters

Pepperdine 1 4 2 0 -- 7

UCI 3 4 1 1 -- 9

Pepperdine -- Miller 3, Jasper 2, Stricklen 1,

Acosta 1. Saves -- Miller 6. UCI -- Barry 5, Merlo

2, Peters 1, Mello 1. Saves Wynne 14.

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