Freshman utility player Hunter Danko aims to shoot against No. University of California, Los Angeles in Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool on Sept. 26. Danko accounted for six of the Waves’ 11 goals. Photos by Olivia Schneider
Pepperdine Men’s Water Polo hosted the University of California, Los Angeles on Sept. 26 in Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool. The No. 13 Waves fell to the No. 1 Bruins 16-11, dropping to 6-9 on the season while UCLA keeps their undefeated season alive.
Four different Waves put Pepperdine on the scoreboard, with freshman utility player Hunter Danko leading the way and achieving season-highs in shots, goals and points.
“The team played really well with some great intensity coming out against the number one team in the country,” Head Coach Merrill Moses said. “Having a 4-4 first quarter, and actually going up 5-4, shows what type of team we are and what we’re capable of.”
To open up the first quarter, the Waves and Bruins were battling neck and neck. Although the Bruins began with an early 2-0 advantage, Danko capitalized on UCLA’s 20-second exclusion fouls with both goals being scored on 6-on-5 power plays.
Danko, who recently earned West Coast Conference (WCC) Newcomer of the Week honors, put the Waves on the scoreboard four minutes in, with help from junior utility player Owen Tift.
Less than two minutes later, Danko shoots and scores the second point for the Waves, junior attacker Erik Ionescu contributing to the man-up advantage.
Danko went on to complete a first period hat trick, scoring his third point of the game with 3 seconds remaining. Danko is responsible for three of the Waves’ first four goals, the other courtesy of Ionescu, who was named WCC Player of the Week for his performance in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Invitational, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Finishing the first period with a 4-4 tie, it wasn’t until the second quarter where the game slipped away from the Waves.
“The second quarter, we let them go on a run where they ended up winning that quarter 5-1,” Moses said. “You clean up that quarter and it’s a different game.”
40 seconds into the quarter, Ionescu broke the tie with his second goal of the game to give Pepperdine a 5-4 lead. UCLA responded with five unanswered goals to enter halftime with a 9-5 lead.
“The biggest thing we can learn is we gave them too many easy opportunities on the post, on their man-up advantage, where four of their goals that they scored were kind of dunks where we need to protect that,” Moses said.
Pepperdine attempted to close the gap in the second half. Ionsecu completed his hat trick before senior attacker Jackson Benners scored on a counterattack, putting the Waves within three at 10-7.
With 3:52 remaining in the third period, UCLA junior attacker Bode Brinkema finds the back of the goal, only for Tift to answer 23 seconds later to make the score 11-8, with a credited assist from Danko.
Junior utility player Owen Tift attempts a shot against the University of California, Los Angeles in Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool on Sept. 26. Tift scored his first and only goal during his time in the pool in the third period.
In the last 3 minutes of the period, UCLA’s offensive drive continued to roll as the Bruins scored three more goals, bringing the match to a score of 14-8.
Danko continued his surge in the fourth period, scoring three more goals to achieve a double hat trick. His six total points not only marked a career-high, but a new season-best by any Pepperdine player, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“We’ve been practicing so hard this past week, and honestly all summer,” Danko said. “It’s just fun.”
Junior goalie Max Smirnov held things down in the post, making 11 saves, including a five-meter penalty stop in the third period.
Despite the loss, Moses said there were still shining moments a part of the day’s match.
“I loved how the team started,” Moses said. “The energy was great throughout. Hunter Danko scored six goals, he’s a very talented freshman. Max Smirnox played great in the goal, had 11 saves, had a penalty block.”
Men’s Water Polo players cheer from the pool deck during the Waves’ matchup against the University of California, Los Angeles in Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool on Sept. 26. Pepperdine held a 5-4 lead early in the second quarter.
Pepperdine’s early performance against UCLA — a team that has won the past two national championships — gave the Waves confidence heading into the WCC play.
“This team has won the past two national championships, so obviously we were excited to play, but we knew we could play with any team in the country,” Danko said.
The Waves look to bounce back from the loss and set their sights on opening up WCC play next week. Pepperdine will travel to face their rivals, No. 11 Loyola Marymount University at the Burns Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
“That’s our biggest focus — going into conference and we’re happy with how we perform, but we obviously got to clean up some things to make sure we win these tight games and it all starts with LMU next week.”
This story was copy edited by Olivia Schlossin.
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Contact Madison Chavez via email: madison.chavez@pepperdine.edu