Pepperdine University
LMU
No. 11 Water Polo Opens WCC Play at No. 14 LMU
10/2/2026 2:30:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
MALIBU, Calif. — No. 11 Pepperdine water polo (6-9) heads across town to open up West Coast Conference (WCC) play at No. 14 LMU (9-6) Saturday at noon.
The game can be streamed live on ESPN+Â with live stats available on the FOSH.
Pepperdine is in its fourth season in the WCC after the conference adopted men's water polo ahead of the 2023 season. The Waves have posted a 13-5 record in WCC games and reached the WCC semifinals in each season in the conference.
Pepperdine's next four contests will all be conference matchups as part of the seven-game WCC slate, as the conference will host its postseason tournament from Nov. 20-22 at Santa Clara.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Waves were defeated by a score of 16-11 against No. 1 UCLA this past weekend.
- Pepperdine held a 5-4 lead in the second quarter before a 6-0 run from the Bruins proved the difference in the game.
- Hunter Danko scored a career-high six goals in the effort.
- Erik Ionescu had a game-high seven points through three goals and four assists for his eighth consecutive multi-point game.
GAME NOTES
- Pepperdine jumped up two spots in the national rankings to No. 11 in this week's CWPA poll.
- Erik Ionescu has led the Waves with 38 goals and 31 assists this season.
- Ionescu ranks third in the conference in goals, assists and points.
- Hunter Danko is coming off a career-high six goals against No. 1 UCLA.
- Danko now ranks seventh in the WCC with 31 goals this season.
- Danko has now scored multiple goals in five straight efforts.
- Tyce di Pretoro became the third Wave to reach 30 points this season with a three-point effort last weekend against the Bruins.
- di Pretoro currently ranks in the top-10 in the WCC with 19 assists this season.
- Max Smirnov posted 11 saves against the Bruins and ranks second in the WCC circuit with 133 stops this season.
- Smirnov has posted a .445 save-percentage this season while leading the Waves with 20 steals this season.
- Jackson Benners is one of four Waves with 10 or more goals and assists this season.
- Benners also ranks third in the WCC with a team-high nine field blocks.
- Cade Anderton and Brian Barnuevo have each logged 29 points this season to rank in the top-five on the team in points.
- Csanád Bella has contributed 10 goals, 15 steals and six field blocks on the season.
- Milo Joseph has paced the Waves with 43 drawn exclusions so far, to go along with 12 goals.
- The Waves swept the WCC weekly awards following the MPSF Invite on Sept. 22, with Erik Ionescu winning WCC Player of the Week and Hunter Danko claiming WCC Newcomer of the Week.
SERIES HISTORY
- The Waves have a 52-10 all-time record against the Lions.
- Pepperdine's record in road contests in the series is 13-4.
- Pepperdine is 6-1 in the series since the teams moved to the WCC prior to the 2023 season.
- The Lions earned a 15-14 victory over the Waves at the MPSF Invite this past month, with a last second goal to win the game.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
- LMU enters play with a 9-6 overall record this season.
- The Lions came in at No. 14 in this week's CWPA national rankings, and have held a season-high ranking of No. 11.
- LMU posted convincing wins over Cuesta College and McKendree this past weekend, after falling to No. 18 Navy and No. 8 UC Irvine in its two prior matchups.
- The Lions were selected to finish fifth in the WCC Preseason Poll after a 3-3 record in the conference this past season.
- Goalie Pablo De Souza is the reigning WCC Newcomer of the Week after posting 32 saves in three games on the week.
The Waves will remain on the road next, traveling to Air Force with the opening sprint against the Falcons set for 11 a.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 10.
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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