MALIBU, Calif.-- No. 6 UC Santa Barbara (14-4, 1-0) showcased another solid outing in the pool as the team defeated No. 9 Pepperdine (7-7, 0-1) for its first MPSF Conference match.

The opening of the game remained close as either team was able to pull away from one another. With goals from Matthew Hamilton, Matt Gronow, Nicholas Jordan and Bryce Miller, the Gauchos were able to take the 4-3 lead after the opening period.

The start of the second period was a shift in momentum as the Waves scored two straight goals to give themselves the 5-4 edge. UCSB showed its toughness though as the team stormed back with two goals from Eric Van de Mortel to give the team the 6-5 lead at the half.

Santa Barbara solidified its command in the match at the start of the second half. With a  7:01 score from Derek Shoemaker, the Gauchos jump started an offensive outburst that produced four goals within the third period. With goals from Kevin Cappon, Nicholas Jordan and Bryce Miller, UCSB held a solid 10-7 lead.

The concluding period of the match was all Gauchos as the team continued to poor on the offensive pressure. Within the period, UCSB scored an impressive total of seven goals against Pepperdine's total of three. The Gauchos marched on to its first conference win of the season with a 17-10 victory over Pepperdine.

UCSB will have no time to celebrate its win as the team will host its first home match of the season against No. 5 Cal at noon.

Tickets for home men's water polo games are available by visiting the Ticket Office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building on campus by calling (805) 893-UCSB or by clicking here.

UCSB Goals: Nicholas Jordan (4) Eric Van de Mortel (3) Matthew Hamilton (2) Bryce Miller (2) Matt Gronow (2) Kevin Cappon (2) Derek Shoemaker, Nick Wiley
UCSB Saves: Chris Whitelegge (8)

Pepperdine Goals: Luke Hewko (3) Cristian Bridley, Wesley Sherburne, Nicholas Candau, Danny White, Brock Liebhardt, Marko Madaras, Mike Tragitt
Pepperdine Saves: Bence Valcis (6) Matthew Carter