LA JOLLA, Calif. — No. 8 Pepperdine water polo (2-2) suffered a narrow defeat to No. 7 Long Beach State (6-0) by a score of 20-18 before falling in overtime, 17-15, to No. 12 UC San Diego (5-1) to wrap up the Triton Invite. 

The Waves battled back from a six-goal deficit against the Beach to eventually make it a two-goal game by the third period, with Long Beach able to hold on for the victory. Pepperdine trailed by two goals at the half against the Tritons, using a last-minute goal in the fourth from Jackson Benners to force overtime.

“We played 2 tough opponents today and unfortunately came up short in both games,” said head coach Merrill Moses. “We showed that we are capable of scoring a lot of goals on the offensive end, but we can not allow that many goals against us defensively. We will watch video and learn from our mistakes and look forward to playing our home opener this Thursday.”

Pepperdine finishes the opening tournament of the campaign with a 2-2 record to begin the new season. The Waves will now open the home slate Thursday, playing host to Biola at noon and No. 15 UC Santa Barbara at 5 p.m. from Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.

No. 7 Long Beach State 20, No. 8 Pepperdine 18

Long Beach got out to an early lead, netting the first six goals of the game while keeping the Waves off the scoreboard until the final minute of the opening frame. Charles Warmington got the Waves on the board with a 6-on-5 goal, with Long Beach taking a 6-1 lead into period two.

The teams traded goals in the second with the Waves scoring five times compared to four goals from the Beach. Erik Ionescu netted an extra man goal while Cade Anderton, Tyce di Pretoro and Hunter Danko each deposited goals. Brian Barnuevo converted a five-meter penalty with 35 seconds left in the half to make it a 10-6 game at the break.

After the Beach got out to a 12-7 advantage to begin the second half, the Waves used a 3-0 run to bring it back to within a two-goal game as Ionescu, di Pretoro and Danko added goals. The Beach then answered with the next four goals to hold a 16-10 lead, as Barnuevo converted another penalty shot to make it 16-11 heading into the fourth period.

Pepperdine continued its comeback effort with four of the next five goals, as tallies from Ivan Khramtsov and Milo Joseph brought it to a 17-15 game with 5:20 remaining. Both defenses held firm over the next three minutes, with the Beach getting the next goal with 2:13 remaining. Danko and Ionescu netted late goals, but each were answered by Long Beach, as the final horn sounded with the score reading 20-18 in favor of Long Beach.

Ionescu led the Waves with six points through four goals and two assists. Barnuevo and Danko each secured hat tricks as well in the effort, with di Pretoro and Anderton each posting two goals and two assists.

No. 12 UC San Diego 17, No. 8 Pepperdine 15

Pepperdine fell behind in the opening minutes 3-1 as the Tritons put in three goals in the first four minutes. The Waves had answers with Danko and Ionescu continued their strong days, scoring the next two as Pepperdine didn’t allow a goal in the final four minutes of the frame. The teams went into the second period knotted up at three goals a piece.

UC San Diego began the second period with a 3-0 spurt, making it a 6-3 advantage for the home side. Benners then netted two goals within 30 seconds to get Pepperdine back to within one, as a last-minute goal from the Tritons made it a 7-5 contest at the half.

The Waves came out strong in the second half, quickly tying the game at 8-8 with consecutive five-meter penalty goals from Barnuevo and Danko. Pepperdine was able to take its first lead of the game soon after, with the freshmen duo of di Pretoro and Danko scoring consecutive goals to give Pepperdine a 10-9 lead. The teams eventually entered the fourth period tied at 11.

Tied at 12 with four minutes to play, Csanád Bella gave Pepperdine a two-goal lead with 3:43 to play with back-to-back scores. The Tritons were able to chip away and eventually score three straight, taking a 15-14 lead with 37 seconds remaining. Coming out of the timeout with one possession to force overtime, the Waves did just that, with Benners securing the pivotal goal with 22 seconds remaining. Pepperdine got the stop it needed at the end of regulation, sending the game into an extra frame.

The Tritons defense was the difference in the overtime, as they were able to shut out the Waves in both extra periods. UC San Diego scored twice in the first frame, which was the difference in the 17-15 victory.

Benners and Danko each scored three goals with a pair of assists to pace the Waves with five points. Max Smirnov made 12 saves in the cage for Pepperdine while securing four steals. Joseph also secured a season-high six drawn exclusions while adding a goal and steal.

The Waves return to Malibu for the home opener, which features a doubleheader from Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool this Thursday. Pepperdine takes on Biola at noon and No. 15 UC Santa Barbara at 5 p.m., with both games available on ESPN+.

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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