Sunday, September 15
Los Angeles, Calif.
1 p.m.
USC
7-0
16
vs
7
Pepperdine
5-1
1
2
3
4
F
Pepperdine
3
0
2
2
7
Southern California
4
5
4
3
16
Team Stats
PEP
USC
Shots
31
33
Goals
7
16
Assists
4
10
Points
11
26
Exclusions
7
7
Steals
5
14
Sprints
2
2
1
Max Miller
7:16
Adam Csapo
6:18
Christian Hosea
5:17
Max Miller
4:39
Connor Cohen
3:54
Zach Bettino
2:12
Adam Csapo
1:33
2
Max Miller
5:44
Stefan Brankovic
3:48
Zach Bettino
2:28
Team
0:59
Team
0:38
3
Jack Martin
5:58
Evan Ausmus
4:58
Jake Carter
2:30
Adam Csapo
1:04
Adam Csapo
0:43
Tom McGuire
0:22
4
Adam Csapo
7:25
Conor Brough
6:02
Stefan Brankovic
5:41
Connor Cohen
3:38
Luke Nelson
1:54
Game Leaders
Shots
5
Goals
1
Assists
0
Points
1
Shots
3
Goals
3
Assists
0
Points
3
Shots
3
Goals
2
Assists
3
Points
5
Shots
3
Goals
2
Assists
1
Points
3
Players Mentioned
DR
/ Men's Water PoloDR
/ Men's Water PoloUT
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water Polo
2M
/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo2M
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water Polo2M
/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water Polo
Photo by: Drake Lee
No. 3 USC Men’s Water Polo Pounds No. 4 Pepperdine In 16-7 Trojan Victory
September 15, 2024 | Men's Water Polo
Trojans shut out Waves for over 16 minutes while making an 8-0 scoring rally at Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
LOS ANGELES — The No. 3 USC men's water polo team manufactured an eight-goal scoring surge to put No. 4 Pepperdine out of reach in home waters today, working to a 16-7 win over the visiting Waves at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The Trojan defense silenced Pepperdine for over 16 minutes of action while the offense clicked off a run that left no doubt, keeping USC undefeated on the year at 7-0 while handing the Waves their first loss.
Stefan Brankovic went big for an interception to squelch another Pepperdine power play, and soon after he'd find Jack Martin at the post for a slam that kept USC's offense in full effect. Evan Ausmus and Jake Carter joined the scoresheet next for USC, and the Trojans were enjoying a 12-3 advantage when Pepperdine finally broke its silence with two goals. An opportunistic finish from Tom McGuire made it 13-5 USC entering the fourth, and USC stayed the course from there. Brankovic and Cohen each stuck their second goals of the day to help USC ahead 15-7. After nine saves in the cage, Herzer gave way to Charles Mills with 3:30 to go, and the redshirt freshman made four saves with no goals allowed to anchor a USC win that was topped off by a Luke Nelson 5-meter penalty score and one final steal from Aidan Wattson to wrap the 16-7 Trojan victory.
NOTABLE:
- WIth two goals today, Robert López Duart continues to lead USC in scoring, now with 13 goals.
- López Duart also now has recorded a team-leading five multiple-goal games this season.
- With a goal today, Jack Martin has scored at least once in every game this season for USC.
- With two goals today, Connor Cohen recorded his first multiple-goal game as a Trojan.
- With two goals today, Stefan Brankovic recorded his first multiple-goal game as a Trojan.
- With 10 different scorers today, USC has had at least 10 scorers in every game this season.
– USC's shutout of Pepperdine in the second period today marked the fourth time this season that the USC defense has shut out an opponent in an entire period of play.
NEXT: USC's next action takes the Trojans to Berkeley, Calif., for action at the Mountain Pacific Invitational, running Sept. 21-23 at Cal's Spieker Aquatics Complex.
#3 USC 16, #4 Pepperdine 7
Saturday, Sept. 15 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)
USC 4 - 5 - 4 - 3 = 16
PEP 3 - 0 - 2 - 2 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Max Miller 3, Zach Bettino 2, Stefan Brankovic 2, Robert López Duart 2, Connor Cohen 2, Jack Martin, Evan Ausmus, Jake Carter, Tom McGuire, Luke Nelson.
PEP — Adam Csapo 5, Christian Hosea, Conor Brough.
SAVES: Bernardo Herzer (USC) 9, Charles Mills (USC) 4, Max Smirnov (PEP) 9.
USC got behind 2-1 early but responded with three straight scores from Max Miller, Connor Cohen and Zach Bettino. The Waves got one back with a 6-on-5 before the close of the first, and then USC's defense took over. USC squashed a late Pepperdine power play, then saw Luka Brnetic put up a field block to preserve that one-goal margin entering the second. There, USC goalie Bernardo Herzer set the tone with a booming save followed by a stop against a Pepperdine 5-meter penalty shot. While Herzer and his defense stayed stingy, USC capitalized on the offensive end. Miller worked his way to a hat trick to spark what would grow to an eight-goal USC rally that spanned halftime. Bettino's second of the day came in that second frame, along with back-to-back blasts from Robert López Duart to get USC ahead 9-3 at the end of the half.
Stefan Brankovic went big for an interception to squelch another Pepperdine power play, and soon after he'd find Jack Martin at the post for a slam that kept USC's offense in full effect. Evan Ausmus and Jake Carter joined the scoresheet next for USC, and the Trojans were enjoying a 12-3 advantage when Pepperdine finally broke its silence with two goals. An opportunistic finish from Tom McGuire made it 13-5 USC entering the fourth, and USC stayed the course from there. Brankovic and Cohen each stuck their second goals of the day to help USC ahead 15-7. After nine saves in the cage, Herzer gave way to Charles Mills with 3:30 to go, and the redshirt freshman made four saves with no goals allowed to anchor a USC win that was topped off by a Luke Nelson 5-meter penalty score and one final steal from Aidan Wattson to wrap the 16-7 Trojan victory.
NOTABLE:
- WIth two goals today, Robert López Duart continues to lead USC in scoring, now with 13 goals.
- López Duart also now has recorded a team-leading five multiple-goal games this season.
- With a goal today, Jack Martin has scored at least once in every game this season for USC.
- With two goals today, Connor Cohen recorded his first multiple-goal game as a Trojan.
- With two goals today, Stefan Brankovic recorded his first multiple-goal game as a Trojan.
- With 10 different scorers today, USC has had at least 10 scorers in every game this season.
– USC's shutout of Pepperdine in the second period today marked the fourth time this season that the USC defense has shut out an opponent in an entire period of play.
NEXT: USC's next action takes the Trojans to Berkeley, Calif., for action at the Mountain Pacific Invitational, running Sept. 21-23 at Cal's Spieker Aquatics Complex.
#3 USC 16, #4 Pepperdine 7
Saturday, Sept. 15 | Uytengsu Aquatics Center (Los Angeles, Calif.)
USC 4 - 5 - 4 - 3 = 16
PEP 3 - 0 - 2 - 2 = 7
SCORING:
USC — Max Miller 3, Zach Bettino 2, Stefan Brankovic 2, Robert López Duart 2, Connor Cohen 2, Jack Martin, Evan Ausmus, Jake Carter, Tom McGuire, Luke Nelson.
PEP — Adam Csapo 5, Christian Hosea, Conor Brough.
SAVES: Bernardo Herzer (USC) 9, Charles Mills (USC) 4, Max Smirnov (PEP) 9.
Men's Water Polo - USC 15, Princeton 13: Highlights (10/14/25)
Tuesday, October 14
Carson Kranz: Trojans Live 11.25.24
Monday, November 25
Stefan Brankovic | Trojans Live 09.23.24
Monday, September 23
Men's Water Polo - USC 13, UCLA 9: Highlights (11/18/23)
Saturday, November 18
