UC Davis Athletics

Score: UC Davis 17, Pepperdine 8
Location: Malibu, Calif. (Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool)
Records: UC Davis 15-8 (5-0), Pepperdine 9-13 (2-3)

MALIBU, Calif. — The second hat trick of the season by Mateo Ruano helped elevate UC Davis men's water polo to a victory over Pepperdine on Friday, Oct. 30.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• A dominant first half saw Davis score the game's first seven goals while shutting out the Waves over the first 12 minutes of action.
• First half tallies included Austin Quick, two from Ruano, Oleg Shatskikh, Lucas Wulfhorst, Colton Fine, Thomas Marr, and a first half hat trick by Thomas Kiesling, his seventh of the year.
• This scoring helped the Aggies to a 10-1 lead at the end of the first half.
• Oriol Viñas pushed the lead to double-digits to start the third quarter, but Pepperdine outscored their opponent 3-1 in this period, pushing the deficit to seven, 11-4, entering the final period.
• The Waves continued their flurry with four more in the fourth, getting as close as six.
• But the Davis offense produced as well, scoring six goals from Luka Palavra, Kiesling, Ruano, Shatskikh, and Lucas Ruano.
• In the final second, Max Prokhin sent a cross-pool pass into the opposing net for a quick goal, clinching a 17-8 victory for his team to keep them undefeated in conference play.

UP NEXT: The weekend wraps up at home on Sunday, Nov. 1 as the Aggies look for another win against first year team No. 20 Saint Mary's at 1:00 pm PT. All of the action is set to be streamed on ESPN+.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 

UC Davis Athletics represents one of the nation's premier public universities on the NCAA Division I stage, with more than 650 student-athletes competing across 25 sports, including 16 programs in the Mountain West Conference. Located in California's quintessential college town, UC Davis combines championship-level athletics with the academic excellence of the nation's #8 public research university and is home to the nation's No. 1 programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine and sustainability. With a growing national media presence, bold investments in facilities and the student-athlete experience, and a tradition of developing champions in competition, in the classroom and beyond, the Aggies are elevating UC Davis on a national stage.