BERKELEY, Calif. — No. 11 Pepperdine water polo (8-5) fell in a narrow contest at No. 2 Cal (11-1) by a score of 14-12 at Spieker Aquatics Complex on Saturday afternoon.
Dane Howell led the Waves with three goals and two assists while Erik Ionescu also netted a hat trick.
Max Smirnov stood tall in the cage for Pepperdine as well, making 12 stops for the game.
"The team played well today and we are getting stronger with every game that we play," said head coach Merrill Moses. "We still have a lot of room to grow and improve to be at our strongest at the end of the season. We will watch video and learn from our mistakes and are excited to play a very strong Stanford team tomorrow."
The opening period was a low-scoring affair, with Cal leading 3-2 following the opening eight minutes. Sandor Gal and Matty Walsh potted the early goals while Smirnov made five stops including a late save on a five-meter penalty to keep it a one-goal game.
After falling behind 5-3, the Waves shut down the Bears for the final 5:17 of the first half, eventually gaining a lead at 6-5. Owen Tift, Ionescu and Brian Barnuevo each scored on the power play as the execution in six-on-five play saw Pepperdine take the one-goal lead into halftime.
The sides went back and forth to begin the second half, trading goals until Cal jumped ahead with a 9-8 lead. Walsh answered with another close-range strike from center to tie the game at nine, but a late six-on-five score by Cal saw the Bears take a one-goal lead into the final frame.
The Bears continued to push the pace and eventually extended the lead to 13-10 in the fourth with 4:25 remaining, the largest lead of the game from either side. The Waves answered immediately with a goal from Howell, with Ionescu then making it a one-goal game with 1:59 remaining after a key stop on defense with a field block from Jon Carcarey.
The Waves got a stop on defense to set up a chance to tie the game, but were unable to get a shot off as the Bears then drew an exclusion on the ensuing offensive possession with 43 seconds remaining. Needing a shorthanded stop and a score to tie the game, the Waves were unable to stop the man-advantage attack as the Bears put the game away with a goal which brought it to 14-12.
Game Notes
The Waves return tomorrow at No. 4 Stanford with the opening sprint set for 1 p.m. in Palo Alto, Calif.
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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