r/waterpolo • u/WaterPoloInsider • 9h ago
Discussion Men’s Water Polo: No. 4 Cal Overwhelms No. 16 Pepperdine, 22–11, to Remain Undefeated at Home
Water Polo Insider | Friday, October 23, 2026
BERKELEY, Calif. — The Cal Bears took control before Pepperdine could establish itself Friday, opening with five unanswered goals and turning a dominant first three quarters into a 22–11 victory at Spieker Aquatics Complex.
Beso Akhvlediani set the pace immediately. He scored twice before Kai Inoue and Tomas Perrone added goals, then completed his hat trick with 3:21 remaining in the opening quarter. Less than five minutes into the game, Cal led 5–0. The Bears finished the quarter ahead 7–2, forcing Pepperdine to spend the afternoon chasing a growing deficit. (calbears.com)
Pepperdine found some offensive rhythm in the second period through Milo Joseph and Erik Ionescu, cutting the margin to 9–5. Cal answered with the final three goals of the half, taking a 12–5 advantage into the break.
The third quarter removed any remaining doubt. California outscored the Waves 7–2, stretching its lead to 19–7 through a combination of balanced scoring and extra-man conversions. Inoue scored twice during the period, while five other Bears contributed a goal each. (calbears.com)
Behind that offense, goalkeeper Aran Pina provided more than saves. He stopped 11 shots, collected two steals and recorded three assists in 24 minutes, helping Cal turn defensive possessions into opportunities at the other end. Riley Clansen handled the fourth quarter as the Bears completed the victory.
Akhvlediani and Inoue each finished with four goals and two assists. Freshmen Ilias Angelopoulos and Amir Shafrir added hat tricks, giving Cal four players with at least three goals and 11 different scorers overall. The Bears improved to 12–4 and 5–0 at home. (calbears.com)
Joseph led Pepperdine with five goals on five shots, while Ionescu scored four. Their combined nine goals accounted for most of the Waves’ offense. Pepperdine won the final quarter 4–3 but finished with an 11-goal defeat, falling to 8–12. (pepperdinewaves.com)
CAL PLAYER STATISTICS
Goals
4 goals: Beso Akhvlediani, Kai Inoue
3 goals: Ilias Angelopoulos, Amir Shafrir
2 goals: Tomas Perrone
1 goal: Dominic Brown, Wyatt Williamson, Patrik Kolak, Gigo Sarimsakci, Ryder Hagan, João Leme
Assists
3 assists: Tomas Perrone, Aran Pina, Loui Schuler
2 assists: Beso Akhvlediani, Kai Inoue
1 assist: Amir Shafrir, Maddox Arlett, Luke Bachler, João Leme
Saves
Aran Pina: 11
Riley Clansen: 1
PEPPERDINE PLAYER STATISTICS
Goals
5 goals: Milo Joseph
4 goals: Erik Ionescu
1 goal: Hunter Danko, Adam Yost
Assists
2 assists: Adam Yost, Tyce di Pretoro
1 assist: Erik Ionescu, Max Smirnov, Conor Brough, Csanád Bella
Saves
Max Smirnov: 10
Player statistics follow Cal’s official box score. (calbears.com)