RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside suffered its first loss of the year on Sunday evening with a 4-1 loss to Pepperdine at UC Riverside Soccer Stadium.

The Highlanders wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Jessica Tamayo buried a rebound off a penalty kick to the top shelf in the seventh minute. 

UCR's defensive corps impressed against the Pepperdine press in the minutes that followed, but the Waves broke through and leveled the match in the 17th minute. The Highlander defense turned back up for the remainder of the half until the Waves went ahead on a penalty seconds before the halftime break.

UC Riverside showed its defensive prowess out of halftime, holding Pepperdine to just two shots through the first 15 minutes of the half. The Waves soon padded their lead in the 62nd minute, then sealed the win in the 88th minute through to the bottom right corner.

Cassia Souza continued her impressive collegiate start in net with eight saves to top her seven made against Loyola Marymount on Thursday. Alex Hargrave recorded her third straight game with a shot after logging two on Sunday in 82 minutes. 

Freshman Giselle Uribe led all UCR substitutes with 59 minutes on the pitch, while fellow freshman Jordan Weiss recorded her third straight 80-minute outing after going for 82 against the Waves.

The Highlanders now head out on the road for a six-game road trip, starting Friday, September 3 at Saint Mary's. Next Friday's matchup with the Gaels is slated for 1:00 p.m. and will be streamed live on the WCC Network.