Sunday, September 7
Malibu, Calif.
1:00 p.m.
USC
6-0
13
at
8
Pepperdine
4-1
1
2
3
4
F
Southern California
4
3
5
1
13
Pepperdine
0
2
4
2
8
Photo by: John McGillen
No. 2 USC Men’s Water Polo Picks Up Sixth Straight Win In 13-8 Victory At No. 12 Pepperdine
September 07, 2025 | Men's Water Polo
Robert López Duart hits his 100th career goal as a Trojan while Bernardo Herzer collects 15 saves in the cage.
MALIBU, CALIF. — The No. 2 USC men's water polo team coasted to an early lead and kept complete control the rest of the way as the Trojans tallied a 13-8 win over No. 12 Pepperdine today in Malibu, Calif. USC junior Robert López Duart scored his 100th goal as a Trojan along the way, finishing up with four for the USC cause in a win that puts his team at 6-0 overall on the year. Goalie Bernardo Herzer took care of things on the defensive end to the tune of a season-high 15 saves for USC.
The Trojans were all business out of the gates, rendering the Waves scoreless while rattling off four goals in the first eight minutes. Goalie Bernardo Herzer denied the Waves four times, including a powerful 5-meter penalty stop, on the defensive end. Offensively, Strahinja Krstić opened USC's account on its first possession, and then Robert López Duart scored back-to-back for the Trojans — first on a 5-meter penalty and then on a sizzling skipper off a feed from Evan Ausmus to go up 3-0. Stefan Branković served up USC's fourth goal with a dirty no-look rocket to get the Trojans a 4-0 lead. USC's scoring surge continued in the second as Luke Nelson and Mihailo Vukazić each unleashed rippers to tug the Trojans ahead 6-0. Pepperdine would break through on a 6-on-5 opportunity next to stop USC's rally, and then converted on a 5-meter penalty to make it 6-2. But the Trojans would fire right back. López Duart found Jack Martin for a 6-on-5 slam to get it to 7-2, and then the USC defense did the rest. Vukazić threw up a couple booming field blocks while Herzer hauled in a couple more power play saves, and USC took the five-goal lead into halftime.
The third period was a flurry of action as the teams went goal-for-goal. Five different Trojans would keep the USC offensive chugging along, highlighted by López Duart's 100th career goal and the second tallies of the day from Martin, Vukazić and Kustić. Gavin Conant got on the board along the way as well, helping the Trojans to a 12-6 lead entering the fourth and final frame. There was a downshift in scoring in the last stretch of play. López Duart snapped almost five minutes of scoreless play with a crosscage strike to make it 13-6 USC. Pepperdine would get two to go in the remaining time, and the game wrapped up as a solid 13-8 USC victory in Malibu.
NEXT: USC next pays a visit to UC Irvine for a 1 p.m. meeting with the Anteaters on Saturday (Sept. 13) in Irvine, Calif.
NOTABLE:
- RS JR Bernardo Herzer recorded a season-high 15 saves today.
- With his third goal of the game Robert López Duart scored his 100th career goal as a Trojan.
- With four total goals today, López Duart has scored 101 goals at USC.
- López Duart and GS Mihailo Vukazić have scored in all six USC games this season.
- López Duart has had multiple-goal outings in all six USC games this season — he leads the team with 19 total goals so far.
- USC is now 71-20-2 all-time against Pepperdine, with wins in the past six meetings.
#2 USC 13, #12 Pepperdine 8
Sunday, Sept. 7 | Raleigh Runnels Aquatics Center (Malibu, Calif.)
USC 4 - 3 - 5 - 1 = 13
PEP 0 - 2 - 4 - 2 = 8
SCORING:
USC — Robert López Duart 4, Strahinja Krstić 2, Mihailo Vukazić 2, Jack Martin 2, Stefan Branković, Luke Nelson, Gavin Conant.
PEP — Jon Carcarey 2, Dane Howell 2, Sandor Gal, Matty Walsh, Bronson Birdsall, Brian Barnuevo.
SAVES: Bernardo Herzer (USC) 15, Max Smirnov (PEP) 10.
👏Robert crosses the century mark!👏
— USC Water Polo (@USCWaterPolo) September 7, 2025
💯 goals as a Trojan (and counting…)#FightOn ✌️ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝙇𝘼𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘. pic.twitter.com/4OeqSGQITS
The Trojans were all business out of the gates, rendering the Waves scoreless while rattling off four goals in the first eight minutes. Goalie Bernardo Herzer denied the Waves four times, including a powerful 5-meter penalty stop, on the defensive end. Offensively, Strahinja Krstić opened USC's account on its first possession, and then Robert López Duart scored back-to-back for the Trojans — first on a 5-meter penalty and then on a sizzling skipper off a feed from Evan Ausmus to go up 3-0. Stefan Branković served up USC's fourth goal with a dirty no-look rocket to get the Trojans a 4-0 lead. USC's scoring surge continued in the second as Luke Nelson and Mihailo Vukazić each unleashed rippers to tug the Trojans ahead 6-0. Pepperdine would break through on a 6-on-5 opportunity next to stop USC's rally, and then converted on a 5-meter penalty to make it 6-2. But the Trojans would fire right back. López Duart found Jack Martin for a 6-on-5 slam to get it to 7-2, and then the USC defense did the rest. Vukazić threw up a couple booming field blocks while Herzer hauled in a couple more power play saves, and USC took the five-goal lead into halftime.
The third period was a flurry of action as the teams went goal-for-goal. Five different Trojans would keep the USC offensive chugging along, highlighted by López Duart's 100th career goal and the second tallies of the day from Martin, Vukazić and Kustić. Gavin Conant got on the board along the way as well, helping the Trojans to a 12-6 lead entering the fourth and final frame. There was a downshift in scoring in the last stretch of play. López Duart snapped almost five minutes of scoreless play with a crosscage strike to make it 13-6 USC. Pepperdine would get two to go in the remaining time, and the game wrapped up as a solid 13-8 USC victory in Malibu.
NEXT: USC next pays a visit to UC Irvine for a 1 p.m. meeting with the Anteaters on Saturday (Sept. 13) in Irvine, Calif.
NOTABLE:
- RS JR Bernardo Herzer recorded a season-high 15 saves today.
- With his third goal of the game Robert López Duart scored his 100th career goal as a Trojan.
- With four total goals today, López Duart has scored 101 goals at USC.
- López Duart and GS Mihailo Vukazić have scored in all six USC games this season.
- López Duart has had multiple-goal outings in all six USC games this season — he leads the team with 19 total goals so far.
- USC is now 71-20-2 all-time against Pepperdine, with wins in the past six meetings.
#2 USC 13, #12 Pepperdine 8
Sunday, Sept. 7 | Raleigh Runnels Aquatics Center (Malibu, Calif.)
USC 4 - 3 - 5 - 1 = 13
PEP 0 - 2 - 4 - 2 = 8
SCORING:
USC — Robert López Duart 4, Strahinja Krstić 2, Mihailo Vukazić 2, Jack Martin 2, Stefan Branković, Luke Nelson, Gavin Conant.
PEP — Jon Carcarey 2, Dane Howell 2, Sandor Gal, Matty Walsh, Bronson Birdsall, Brian Barnuevo.
SAVES: Bernardo Herzer (USC) 15, Max Smirnov (PEP) 10.
Team Stats
USC
PEP
Shots
29
33
Goals
13
8
Assists
11
4
Points
24
12
Exclusions
16
9
Steals
11
11
Sprints
1
1
1
Strahinja Krstic
7:07
Robert Lopez Duart
6:39
Robert Lopez Duart
5:46
Stefan Brankovic
2:36
2
Luke Nelson
7:22
Mihailo Vukazic
6:18
Matty Walsh
5:42
Dane Howell
3:29
Jack Martin
2:53
3
Jack Martin
6:03
Jon Carcarey
5:38
Robert Lopez Duart
4:17
Brian Barnuevo
3:50
Jon Carcarey
2:01
Mihailo Vukazic
1:41
Bronson Birdsall
1:27
Strahinja Krstic
0:31
Gavin Conant
0:27
4
Robert Lopez Duart
3:13
Dane Howell
2:50
Sandor Gal
1:38
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
5
Goals
4
Assists
2
Points
6
Shots
4
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Shots
4
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Shots
3
Goals
2
Assists
0
Points
2
Players Mentioned
DR
/ Men's Water Polo
DR
/ Men's Water Polo
G
/ Men's Water Polo2M
/ Men's Water Polo
UT
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