Pepperdine University
6-9, 0-0
LMU
9-6, 0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperdine | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| Loyola Marymount | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 13 |
No. 11 Water Polo Drops WCC Opener at No. 14 LMU
10/3/2026 5:52:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
LOS ANGELES — No. 11 Pepperdine water polo (6-10, 0-1 WCC) fell 13-10 at No. 14 LMU (10-6, 1-0 WCC) Saturday afternoon from Burns Center in Los Angeles.
The Waves trailed 7-6 at halftime as the Lions then pulled away in the third period, outscoring Pepperdine 4-1 in the frame. The game marked the first West Coast Conference game of the season for both sides.
Hunter Danko and Erik Ionescu each logged hat tricks for the Waves offensively, while Charles Warmington paced the team with four points through a pair of goals and assists. Cade Anderton and Brian Barnuevo also registered goals for the Waves.
Max Smirnov added 13 saves with two steals in the cage for Pepperdine. Barnuevo and Jackson Benners had the lone field blocks of the day for the Waves to chip in defensively.
"Unfortunately we did not perform to our standards today," said head coach Merrill Moses following the game. "We turned the ball over too many times which led to them having easy counter attack goals. We have some athletes out with injuries and sickness so we are going to work on getting everyone healthy for our next conference game versus Air Force."
Danko had the Waves ahead early, answering an early LMU with consecutive scores. His second came on a five-meter penalty at the 4:43 mark in the first, as Pepperdine held a 2-1 advantage. LMU answered with a 3-0 run, but a Cade Anderton tally on the 6-on-5 eventually made it a 5-4 Lions lead at the end of the first eight minutes.
The Waves chipped away in the second, with Danko netting his hat trick early on in the frame. Barnuevo and Ionescu added even strength scores and the Waves trailed 7-6 halfway through.
The second half saw LMU pull away in the early stages, making it a 10-6 game and an eventual 12-7 lead early in the fourth. Warmington gave life to the Waves with back-to-back goals on the 6-on-5, as Pepperdine was down 12-9 with 4:35 to play.
LMU was able to get the stops it needed late, as the game went scoreless until the 1:14 mark, as the Lions scored their 13th of the game to secure the win. Ionescu found the back of the cage once more on Pepperdine's final possession, bringing the final score to 13-10.
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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Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Nick Leung
7:21
Hunter Danko
5:37
Hunter Danko
4:43
Gabrijel Burburan
4:24
Soren Martin
3:05
Mateo Obando
2:15
Cade Anderton
1:50
Nick Leung
0:34
Hunter Danko
6:20
Nico Furneaux
5:53
Brian Barnuevo
2:57
Caden Poulleau
2:19
Erik Ionescu
0:50
Nick Leung
6:41
Nico Furneaux
4:37
Gabrijel Burburan
3:27
Erik Ionescu
1:24
Bence Barics
0:49
Caden Poulleau
6:54
Charles Warmington
6:26
Charles Warmington
4:35
Gabrijel Burburan
1:14
Erik Ionescu
0:18
