No. 13 Water Polo Defeats No. 18 Santa Clara, 17-16

Saturday, October 17

Malibu, Calif.

1:00 PM

Pepperdine University

8-10, 2-1

Santa Clara

8-9, 0-2

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Santa Clara	5	4	1	6	16
Pepperdine	3	5	6	3	17

No. 13 Water Polo Defeats No. 18 Santa Clara, 17-16

10/17/2026 7:53:00 PM | Men's Water Polo

Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. — No. 13 Pepperdine water polo (8-10, 2-1 WCC) earned a 17-16 victory over No. 18 Santa Clara (8-9, 0-2 WCC) Saturday afternoon from Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.

The Waves battled back from a four-goal deficit in the first half, using an 11-2 run to take the lead in the second half and never look back.

Hunter Danko continued his recent scoring prowess with a four-goal effort to lead the Waves. Jackson Benners and Milo Joseph each recorded hat tricks as well in the victory, as Joseph also drew four exclusions.

Erik Ionescu contributed four points through two goals and two assists for his sixth straight multi-goal game. Csanád Bella also deposited a pair of goals for Pepperdine to go along with a field block.

The Waves move to 2-1 in WCC play with the victory, earning their second straight conference win.

"I'm very proud of the team on being resilient today and not folding when we were down big in the game," noted head coach Merrill Moses. "We went on a 6-goal run that changed the momentum of the game. We have to finish games better when we have the lead and not give up easy goals which kept Santa Clara in the game in the fourth quarter. I want to give a huge shout out to all of our alumni that came to the game and brought incredible energy on the pool deck. Their energy behind the goal and in the stands was a big reason why we won the game. We are excited to play another conference game at home again tomorrow vs San Jose State. If you're able, please come and fill the stands and support the team!"

Bella got the scoring started as Pepperdine played its first home game in three weeks in Malibu, as the contest also marked the program's alumni game with many familiar faces around the pool. The teams traded goals early as Ivan Khramtsov and Ionescu tallied early goals to put the Waves ahead 3-2.

Santa Clara ended the first period on a 3-0 run, however, to take a 5-3 lead into the second frame. The Broncos continued their momentum early on, eventually leading 8-4 with 5:37 to go before halftime.

Pepperdine responded and began to mount its comeback, scoring four of the next five to make it a 9-8 game at the half. Danko logged three of Pepperdine's final four goals of the half to secure the first half hat trick, while Benners scored a crucial goal with two seconds remaining to make it a one-goal game.

Pepperdine's run continued into the second half, shutting Santa Clara out until the 3:45 mark in the third period. Bella began the second half as well with the first goal, with Danko converting a five-meter penalty which made it 11-9 in favor of the Waves.

Brian Barnuevo made good on a five-meter penalty in the closing second of the third period, bringing the score to a 14-10 advantage for Pepperdine.

Joseph made it a five-goal game with an early tally in the fourth, as Benners would maintain the five-goal lead with his third of the contest at the 5:59 mark, bringing the score to 16-11. The Broncos began to chip away with three straight goals, with Joseph weathering the storm as he fired in his third of the game from close range, making it 17-14 Pepperdine with 4:22 to play.

Santa Clara kept within striking distance, with a goal at the 3:03 mark making it 17-16. The Broncos had a chance to tie it with a five-meter, with the shot missing the cage and giving possession back to the Waves.

Pepperdine's defense stood tall in the closing minutes, not allowing a goal in the final 3:03 to preserve the win. The win was Pepperdine's second straight by a one-goal margin, after dropping their first two one-goal decisions this season.

The Waves return tomorrow to host No. 16 San Jose State at 1 p.m. from Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.

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 67 athletes garner All-American honors while boasting a winning record in 37 of 51 seasons.

TICKETS
For more information on upcoming home events and to purchase tickets, visit here.

FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine water polo news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineMWP.