If men’s water polo has proven anything from its dominant start to the season, it’s that the Trojans have no trouble handling a bit of tough competition.

No. 2 USC (6-0) remained undefeated over the weekend, winning games against No. 7 Long Beach State University (5-2) and No. 12 Pepperdine University (4-1) as well as an exhibition game against Golden West Junior College. The Trojans scored 13 goals in all three games, outscoring their opponents 39-26 in total.

Back-and-forth affair ends in a 13-9 victory

Heading into the first game, the Trojans were coming off a 4-0 weekend at the Triton Invitational, looking to maintain their undefeated record. On the other hand, Long Beach State came into the game 5-1, hoping to pick up a statement win. 

The game remained competitive throughout its duration, with USC’s lead never exceeding more than four goals. Long Beach State’s aggressive defense went step-for-step with the Trojans and their excellent offense. 

The first quarter was neck and neck; both defenses excelled, swarming the opposing team’s wings and keeping it even at 3-3. Trojan redshirt sophomore goalie Charlie Mills thrived in front of the net, ending the first period with eight saves. 

Throughout the second quarter, the Trojans overpowered Long Beach’s defense, racking up four goals in four minutes. USC defenders swamped the Beach, keeping them out of shooting range. However, the first half ended with a goal by Long Beach State freshman defender Zalán Nagy, marking the beginning of a comeback attempt for the Beach. 

The third period was charged with emotion, and Long Beach State seemed to feed off the crowd’s energy, ending the quarter on a 3-0 run to tighten up the game. 

“When you start your defense with undisciplined offense, usually you get punished,” Head Coach Marko Pintaric said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. 

Fortunately, the Trojans outscored the Beach 5-2 to close out the game, with Mills capping his stellar game with a career-high 14 saves. 

“In my opinion, he was the best player of the match for us, [and he] saved us on many occasions,” Pintaric said of Mills.

Trojans play with ‘same attitude’ in exhibition match

The win over Long Beach State was immediately followed by an exhibition game against Golden West, which ended with an identical score of 13-9. Although it was an exhibition game, Pintaric said he ensured his players stayed on their toes. 

“We don’t discriminate against any opponents. We play [with] the same emotions, same attitude, to win a game,” Pintaric said. 

His words rang true for the start of the game, as USC led by just one goal at halftime, 5-4. However, the Trojans managed to pull ahead in the second half, securing their second win of the day, this time with a pool of mostly new faces. 

“The last game against Golden West, it was won by the players who usually don’t play minutes. There were mistakes, but I’m proud of them,” Pintaric said.

Hot start secures winning weekend

The Trojans finished off their three-game weekend Sunday with a matchup against the Pepperdine Waves, who were hoping to prove themselves in another California faceoff. 

USC started the game in commanding fashion, going on a 6-0 run before ending the half with a 7-2 lead. The Trojans’ overwhelming defense smothered any possible shot attempts by the Waves. 

Sophomore driver Robert López Duart led the charge, scoring 2 goals in each half, including the 100th of his USC career. His stellar performance helped to ensure a 13-8 victory over the Waves, capping off a highly successful weekend.

The Trojans’ wins over Long Beach State and Pepperdine brought them to five wins against top-15 teams on the season, a week after taking down then-No. 12 UC San Diego (5-3), then-No. 15 UC Santa Barbara (7-3) and then-No. 10 San Jose State University (4-1) at the Triton Invitational.  

Next up, USC will travel south to face No. 7 UC Irvine (6-0) on Saturday at 1 p.m., hoping to keep the undefeated season alive.