Nov. 9, 2002

Berkeley, Calif. - In what was a playoff atmosphere from the opening whistle, two Bears players as well as Cal head coach Kirk Everist received game ejections and the No. 6 visiting Waves (13-7, 7-1) upset the No. 1 Bears, 8-5, Saturday afternoon at Spieker Aquatics Complex in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) contest. Junior Will Quist led the Cal charge with two goals on the day.

Pepperdine's defense and the play of senior goalie Michael Soltis kept the Bears in check in the first half, stifling the Cal counterattack time and time again. Soltis tallied 11 saves on the afternoon, while facing a Cal attack that bombarded the Waves net with 21 shots on goal.

Pepperdine Sophomore Jesse Smith started the game's scoring, finding the back of the net for the match's first point just 1:10 into the first period. As was to be expected between the nation's #1 team and the MPSF's #1 team, defense dominated the first quarter of play as Soltis corralled seven of his 11 saves in the first stanza. Pepperdine senior Karl Niehaus netted his first of three goals at the 5:11 mark to give the Waves the quick 2-0 lead. But that was the extent of the scoring in the first stanza as each squad battled it out at midpool in a defensive struggle.

The second period saw more of the same physical, grueling play as players from both sides left the game with bloody injuries to the face. Pepperdine junior Jeremy Grubbs made the score 3-0 just two minutes into the second quarter. But, Cal's Quist answered back, putting the Bears on the board at the 3:22 mark. Cal keeper Russell Bernstein faced a barrage of Pepperdine shots in the period, but the Waves could only muster one more goal before the half to enter the break with the 4-1 lead.

Cal freshman Vince Bevins took advantage of a 6-on-5 opportunity just 36 seconds into the second half, as he cut the Pepperdine lead in half, 4-2. Pepperdine driver Scott Harvey answered back at the 3:30 mark and Quist notched his second score of the day to end the third period at 5-3 Pepperdine.

The fourth quarter saw Cal not only lose Chris Lathrop and Greg Panawek to game ejections, but head coach Everist was issued the red card with 2:53 to go in the game, handing over the reins to assistant coach Boyd Lachance. Cal's leading scorer Attila Banhidy, who had been held in check for the entire game, connected on a 4-meter penalty shot at the 5:11 mark to bring the Bears within one goal, 5-4. The two squads battled it out in between frequent whistles for the next three minutes until the Waves' Niehaus extended the Pepperdine lead to 6-4 with his goal at the 2:34 mark for the proverbial dagger in the heart. Cal's Andrew Stoddard found the back of the net with 1:46 to play, but it was a little too late as the Waves went on to win the match, 8-5.

With the loss, the Bears fall to 15-5 overall and 4-3 in the MPSF. Pepperdine improves to 13-7 overall and 7-1 in the conference.

Cal returns to action tomorrow, Nov. 10 at noon, to play an exhibition match against San Francisco's Olympic Club at Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley.

GAME SUMMARY

GOALS:
PEPPERDINE - Karl Niehaus 3, Jeremy Grubbs, Michael Hausmann, Scott Harvey, Jordan Keitel, Jesse Smith
CAL - Will Quist 2, Attila Banhidy,  Andrew Stoddard, Vince Bevins

SAVES:
PEPPERDINE - Michael Soltis 11
CAL - Russell Bernstein 7


BOX SCORE:

	1	2	3	4	TOTAL
PEPP	2	2	1	3	8
CAL	0	1	2	2	5