Pepperdine University
8-10, 2-1
San Jose State
6-11, 0-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose State | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| Pepperdine | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
10/18/2026 8:06:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
MALIBU, Calif. — No. 13 Pepperdine water polo (8-11, 2-2 WCC) was defeated by a score of 16-13 against No. 16 San Jose State (7-11, 1-3 WCC) Sunday afternoon from Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.
The Spartans used a 4-0 run out of halftime to build a lead after it was a one-goal game at the half.
Hunter Danko led the Waves with a four-goal effort to go along with a pair of assists. Erik Ionescu also logged a hat trick while Charles Warmington posted three points.
Pepperdine moved to 2-2 in conference play, with three WCC matchups remaining on the schedule.
"We played a very tough opponent today and unfortunately came up short," said head coach Merrill Moses. "We gave them way too many easy counterattack opportunities which ended up hurting us in the second half. The WCC is extremely competitive and we will continue to prepare to be at our best for our conference tournament in November."
It was a slow start offensively for both sides as they settled in, with the first goal of the game coming over three and a half minutes in from the Spartans. Pepperdine responded with Ivan Khramtsov and Charles Warmington netting scores on back-to-back possessions.
San Jose State scored five seconds left in the first to take a 3-2 lead, with Ionescu catching the Spartans by surprise with a long-range shot straight off the restart, which tied the game at three.
The team continued to trade goals as neither side led by more than one goal at any point in the first half. Brian Barnuevo converted a five-meter penalty while scoring the final goal of the half for the Waves. Freshmen Tyce di Pretoro and Danko also logged goals in the second period, as San Jose eventually took an 8-7 lead into halftime.
The second half began with four straight goals over the first 6:30 from San Jose to pull away to a 12-7 advantage. Pepperdine found life soon after with Milo Joseph firing in a goal from close range before Ionescu beat the buzzer in the third frame, bringing the score to 12-9 with eight minutes left to play.
The Waves conceded a five-meter penalty on the opening possession of the fourth, eventually bringing the lead to six goals at 15-9 with 5:30 to play. Pepperdine chipped away as Danko scored three more in the fourth period, but the Spartans were able to bleed the clock in the final four minutes, holding on for a 16-13 victory.
The Waves head north for three contests next week, beginning at No. 4 Cal on Friday before neutral site matchups with Harvard and Brown on Saturday in the Bay Area.
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.
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Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Louis Fehrensen
4:29
Ivan Khramtsov
4:12
Charles Warmington
3:49
Samu Biros
0:45
Louis Fehrensen
0:05
Erik Ionescu
0:03
Samu Biros
7:40
Brian Barnuevo
4:15
Aidan Johnson
3:53
Hunter Danko
3:37
Liam Dodunski
3:06
Tyce di Pretoro
2:00
Giancarlo Marquez
1:30
Brian Barnuevo
1:09
Samu Biros
0:50
Louis Fehrensen
6:59
Aidan Johnson
5:00
Aron Sárfalvi
4:28
Mitchell Keightley
1:33
Milo Joseph
1:22
Erik Ionescu
0:00
Samu Biros
7:42
Austin Hexter
6:49
Aron Sárfalvi
5:30
Hunter Danko
5:15
Samu Biros
3:45
Erik Ionescu
3:02
Hunter Danko
2:37
Hunter Danko
0:24
