Oct. 11, 2009

IRVINE, Calif. -- The fifth-ranked LMU men's water polo team, not quite over their heartbreaking setback to No. 4 Cal less than 13 hours earlier, suffered a tough 9-7 setback to No. 7 Pepperdine in the first game of the UC Irvine Invitational on Sunday. However, they recovered in the seventh place game with a come-from-behind thrilling 10-9 win over No. 6 UC Santa Barbara in the final game.

With the split, the Lions improved to 12-4 on the season and 2-0 in overtime games.

To take seventh place, the Lions needed some last second magic and unexpected scoring to earn the win. Charlie Horton scored the last of his three goals with seven seconds left in the first overtime period as LMU rallied for the win. The teams played a scoreless second overtime period.

Milos Golic scored for UCSB (8-6) with 4:58 left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 8-8 and Kendell Olds put the Gauchos up 9-8 on a goal with 3:10 remaining in regulation.

The overtime would have never happened if it wasn't for junior Tibor Forai. LMU got the ball back with 13 seconds left in the fourth and coming out of a timeout, the Forai fired in the game-tying goal with seven seconds remaining.

Zach Mix added a pair of goals for the Lions. Horton and Mix, who had five goals in the win combined, entered the weekend with a combined four goals on the season.

Both games on the day where tight ones.

Against the Waves, Pepperdine's Preston Lujan scored with 7:00 left in the fourth quarter to break a 6-6 tie and Christian Cardey followed with an extra-man goal at the 5:16 mark to give the seventh-ranked Waves an 8-6 lead.

Brian Benedetti scored with 1:52 remaining to draw No. 5 Loyola Marymount within 8-7 but the Waves' Cardey scored his second goal of the quarter with 19 seconds left for the final margin.

Forai and Andrew Aki scored two goals each against Pepperdine.

The Lions return home Thursday to take on WWPA foe Claremont at 4 p.m.

Pepperdine 9, Loyola Marymount 7
Pepperdine --- 2 - 2 - 2 - 3 --- 9
Loyola Marymount --- 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 --- 7
Scoring: PEP - Clayton Snyder 2, Brett Auer 2, Christian Cardey 2, Andrew Milcovich, J.P. MacDonnell, Preston Lujan; LMU: Andrew Aki 2, Tibor Forai 2, Albert Samuels, Edgaras Asajavicius, Brian Benedetti.
Saves: Bryce McLain (Pep) 14; Andy Stevens (LMU) 9.

Loyola Marymount 10, UC Santa Barbara 9 (OT)
UC Santa Barbara --- 4 - 2 - 0 - 3 - 0 - 0 --- 9
Loyola Marymount ---- 3 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 10
Scoring - UCSB: Milos Golic 4, Zsombor Vincze 2, Brian Shoemaker, Kendell Olds, Sean Castillo; LMU: Charlie Horton 3, Zach Mix 2, Brian Benedetti, Tibor Forai, Andrew Aki, Max Schlegel, Robert Pusic.
Saves: Fraser Bunn (UCSB) 15; Andy Stevens (LMU) 15.