LOS ANGELES – Blazo Mitrovic scored six goals in a game for the fifth time in his career, to open the day, and added two more in the afternoon contest, but LMU lost the pair of games in Saturday's home debut. The higher ranked team won all four games in the WWPA/GCC Conference Challenge Cup, with Pepperdine and UC Irvine winning each of their two games.
 
GAME 1: #8 Pepperdine 15, #16 LMU 11
 
Pepperdine scored the opening goal on their first possession, but Daniel Roth tied the game at the 6:34 mark to even things at 1-1. After the Waves scored the next two goals, LMU responded with back-to-back scores from Blazo Mitrovic and Rylan Russell to tie it back up at 3-all with 1:29 remaining. Pepperdine added one more in the final minute of the quarter to take a 4-3 lead after the first eight minutes.
 
Mitrovic scored his second 5-Meter goal of the day to even the score in the second quarter before Pepperdine rattled off three unanswered. Mitrovic ended the run with a goal with 1:67 remaining until intermission. The Waves scored in the final 30 seconds to make it a 9-5 game at the break.
 
The visitors built their lead up to 12-5 in the third before another Mitrovic penalty shot and then powerplay goal put the Lions back on the board at 12-7 with 2:21 on the clock in the third quarter. Pepperdine extended their lead to 14-7, doubling up the Lions after three quarters.
 
The Lions outscored Pepperdine 4-1 in the final quarter to tighten the game. David Carrasco opened the scoring, then after an answer by the Waves, Roth scored a pair and Mitrovic added his game-high sixth goal to make it an 11-5 final.
 
GAME 2: #T-9 UC Irvine 12, LMU 11
 
The Lions came out of the gates with the opening two goals, as both Blazo Mitrovic and David Carrasco scored to put the Lions ahead, 2-0. UC Irvine answered with the final four goals of the quarter to take a 4-2 lead into the break.
 
The Anteaters built their lead up to 6-3 before Carrasco put an end to the run. UCI took a 9-4 lead which was again stopped by a Carrasco goal to close out the half.
 
Carrasco continued to be the answer to stopping Irvine's run, scoring again to make it 11-6 after UCI opened with two in the third quarter. Alexandros Athymarytis added a goal for LMU to make it a four-goal game 11-7. Each team added one more before the end of the half as Joseph Shaw scored with 1:17 remaining in the third quarter to make it 12-8 heading into the final eight minutes.
 
The fourth quarter was all LMU as the Lions looked to complete the comeback bid. Mitrovic and Athymaritis each opened the third with their second goals of the game to make it 12-10 with 5:20 remaining. Joseph Shaw added one more with the man advantage at the 2:47 mark, but LMU was unable to find the equalizer late in the game.
 
Up Next:
Conference play begins as LMU heads to Fresno to face Fresno Pacific on Sept. 21 for a noon contest. The game is scheduled to be played at Sunnyside Aquatics Center