MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced men's water polo team dropped a back and forth match against Concordia University Irvine, falling 13-12 on Thursday afternoon at the Aquatic Center.

The Bobcats (12-7) led by two goals with two minutes left, but CIU struck three times and scored the game-winning goal with four seconds on the clock to pull out the win.

Each team held a two-goal lead in the second half. CUI led 8-6 midway through the third quarter before the Bobcats came back for a two-goal lead of their own.

Killian Nguyen, Camden Peterson, and William Pezold each notched a hat trick for the Bobcats. Peterson also had two assists.

Nguyen's hat trick was his career-best third in a row, while his multi-goal outing marked his eighth straight. Pezold has six straight multi-goal games since returning from injury.

Both teams showed out defensively to start the game until Nguyen found the back of the net over five minutes into the match. Peterson followed for a 2-0 UC Merced lead before CUI scored for the first time with 1:34 left in the first quarter. Both teams scored again before the period ended and it was the Bobcats on top 3-2 after one.

Head coach Johnny Bega's squad led 4-2 and 5-3 early in the second quarter but the Golden Eagles pulled even at 5-5 less than 90 seconds later. The next three minutes were quiet until Evan Ladearious broke the tie with a goal to put the Bobcats back in front. CUI answered and it was all deadlocked at intermission.

CUI took their first lead of contest with a Sam Diamond goal two and a half minutes into the third quarter. Diamond scored again two possessions later and CUI had their two-goal advantage, their only one of the match compared to the Bobcats seven two-goal leads.

Down 8-6, the Bobcats exploded for four consecutive goals, including two in the third quarter to tie it and two more early in the fourth quarter to flip the score and grab a 10-8 advantage. Pezold scored two of the Bobcats four goals during the surge.

The two teams traded goals for the next three minutes, culminating in a 12-10 UC Merced lead with two minutes to play in regulation. After a CUI timeout, both teams turned it over and it remained 12-10 with 80 seconds on the clock. However, CUI scored every trip down the field after that while holding the Bobcats scoreless.

The game was tied 12-12 and UC Merced had the ball with the shot clock off, but failed to get a shot off and it was back in CUI's possession with 15 seconds left. The Golden Eagles Harry Bentham, who also scored the equalizer, buried the game-winner with four seconds left. UC Merced's attempt at an alley-oop to win the game was unsuccessful and CUI played spoiler in the Bobcats first home match since September 9.

Despite the Bobcats loss, the 12 goals were tied for the second most against a NCAA Division One or NCAA Division Two opponent this season. CUI is a NCAA Division Two opponent in the WWPA.

Matthew Lloyd made 12 saves in 32 minutes in the cage.

Up next, UC Merced welcomes Fresno Pacific University to the Aquatic Center on Saturday, October 28 for an 11:00am opening sprint.