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Pepperdine University Athletics

Ionescu
15
Winner Pepperdine PEP (15-10)
9
Santa Clara SCU (9-12)
Winner
Pepperdine PEP
(15-10)
15
Final
9
Santa Clara SCU
(9-12)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Pepperdine PEP 4 3 4 4 15
Santa Clara SCU 3 2 3 1 9

Game Recap: Men's Water Polo |

No. 9 Water Polo Downs No. 17 Santa Clara to Win Fifth Straight

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — No. 9 Pepperdine water polo (16-10, 3-3 WCC) closed out the regular season with a 15-9 victory over No. 17 Santa Clara (9-13, 2-4 WCC) Friday afternoon from Sullivan Aquatic Center.

With the win, Pepperdine secured the No. 3 seed in the WCC Tournament and will match up with sixth-seeded Santa Clara on Friday (Nov. 21) at 2 p.m. MT / 1 p.m. PT for a WCC quarterfinals contest. The conference tournament is hosted at Air Force with the semifinals set for Saturday and the Championship Sunday.

The Waves' defense continued its strong form, allowing just four second half goals and holding its opponent to ten or fewer goals for the fifth straight game.

Erik Ionescu led the way offensively with four goals while Csanád Bella notched a hat trick for the Waves. Jon Carcarey and Sandor Gal each scored a pair of goals with Carcarey adding three assists and three steals to his ledger.

Max Smirnov was strong in the cage again for Pepperdine with 10 saves while scoring the final goal for the Waves. 

"The team played well again today and our defensive focus is paying off," said head coach Merrill Moses. "Holding a team to less than 10 goals in a game and allowing only one goal in the fourth quarter is extremely hard to do. We will continue to focus on defense and are looking forward to competing at the WCC Championships next weekend."

The Waves got out to a fast start with Ionescu and Gal scoring the first two goals of the game within 75 seconds of the opening sprint. The Broncos answered over the next two minutes, evening the score a two goals apiece midway through the first.

Pepperdine regained the lead on a power play goal from Bella, as the Waves made the most of their extra man opportunities, having just three for the entire game but converting on two of the chances. Carcarey scored his first late on in the frame, with the Broncos answering with seven seconds left to five Pepperdine a 4-3 lead after one.

The Broncos would come out and not allow a goal for the opening 3:58 of the second period, taking their first lead of the game at 5-4. The Waves got one back through Brian Barnuevo to even the score at five with 4:02 left, as that scoreline would hold into the final minute.

Pepperdine was able to take momentum into halftime with Ionescu giving the road side back the lead at 6-5, before Gal converted on a pivotal five-meter penalty with just four seconds left in the half. Pepperdine led 7-5 at the break and would never relinquish the lead.

Carcarey got the scoring started in the third period with Matty Walsh then depositing Pepperdine's second man-up goal of the game, as the Waves built their lead up to four goals as part of the 5-0 run. Bella and Ionescu kept the pressure on in the third period, adding goals to put Pepperdine ahead 11-8 heading into the final frame.

Pepperdine's defense held firm in the closing stages of the game, allowing just a single goal in the fourth which came with 1:31 remaining. The Broncos goal made it 13-9 at the time, as Dane Howell converted a five-meter penalty before Smirnov put the finishing touch on the game with a goal of his own to bring the final score to 15-9.

Game Notes

  • Erik Ionescu paced the Waves with four goals in the winning effort.
  • Csanád Bella scored three goals, marking his second hat trick in the past three games.
  • Dane Howell had a game-high four assists while scoring his 53rd goal of the season.
  • Jon Carcarey led the way defensively with three steals and a field block.
  • Bella and Ionescu each had a pair of field blocks.
  • Carcarey added two goals and three assists to his all-around effort.
  • Max Smirnov earned the win in the cage for Pepperdine with 10 saves.
  • Smirnov added a goal, assist and steal.
  • Matty Walsh scored his team-leading 55th goal of the campaign.
  • Sandor Gal notched his 40th goal this season with two scores to go along with an assist and field block.
  • Brian Barnuevo potted his 22nd goal of the season.
  • The Waves improve their season-long winning streak to five games.
  • Pepperdine moves to 3-5 in true road games this season.

The Waves will return to the pool Friday from the U.S. Air Force Academy to begin the WCC Tournament. Pepperdine will take on Santa Clara in the quarterfinals at 2 p.m. MT on ESPN+.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE WATER POLO
Pepperdine water polo has seen success spanning decades under Terry Schroeder who gave the reins to Merrill Moses following the 2023 season. Highlighted by its national championship in 1997 with Moses as the starting goalie, the Waves have reached the NCAA Tournament on 13 occasions and recently won the inaugural WCC Regular Season Championship in 2023. Overall, the program has seen 60 athletes garner All-American honors while boasting a winning record in 36 of 50 seasons.

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