Friday, November 6
Moraga, CA
6:30 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
12
vs
14
Pepperdine
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
11/6/2026 9:38:00 PM | Men's Water Polo
MORAGA, Calif. — The Saint Mary's men's water polo team battled No. 16 Pepperdine in a competitive Senior Day matchup on Friday evening at the Soda Aquatic Center, ultimately falling 14-12. Hamish Ellison led the Gaels with an impressive seven-goal performance, tying the program single match record, while Saint Mary's outscored the Waves in the final quarter as they attempted to complete a late comeback.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Pepperdine jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before Andrew Donlin got the Gaels on the board off an assist from Alessandro Fumo. Hamish Ellison followed with his first goal of the night off an assist from Domenico Barillà to cut the deficit to one heading into the second quarter. Jacob Carlson opened up the scoring for Saint Mary's in the second quarter off a pass from Rocco Di Rosa, while Ellison connected with Barillà once again for his second goal of the night. The Waves maintained their lead heading into halftime with a 7-4 advantage.
The Gaels found their offensive rhythm in the third quarter, matching Pepperdine with five goals. Ellison continued to lead the Saint Mary's attack with three third-quarter goals, while Alessandro Fumo and Harry Irwin each found the back of the net, but the Gaels entered the fourth quarter trailing 12-9. Irwin then opened the scoring for Saint Mary's in the fourth quarter before Ellison added two more goals, assisted by Fumo and Federico Castrucci. The Gaels outscored the Waves 3-2 in the final period, but their late comeback effort fell just short, as Pepperdine secured the 14-12 victory.
GAME NOTES
Saint Mary's will close out West Coast Conference regular-season action on Sunday, November 8 at 12:00 p.m. as it heads to San Jose State to take on the Spartans. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+ and additional match information can be found at smcgaels.com.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
HOW IT HAPPENED
Pepperdine jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before Andrew Donlin got the Gaels on the board off an assist from Alessandro Fumo. Hamish Ellison followed with his first goal of the night off an assist from Domenico Barillà to cut the deficit to one heading into the second quarter. Jacob Carlson opened up the scoring for Saint Mary's in the second quarter off a pass from Rocco Di Rosa, while Ellison connected with Barillà once again for his second goal of the night. The Waves maintained their lead heading into halftime with a 7-4 advantage.
The Gaels found their offensive rhythm in the third quarter, matching Pepperdine with five goals. Ellison continued to lead the Saint Mary's attack with three third-quarter goals, while Alessandro Fumo and Harry Irwin each found the back of the net, but the Gaels entered the fourth quarter trailing 12-9. Irwin then opened the scoring for Saint Mary's in the fourth quarter before Ellison added two more goals, assisted by Fumo and Federico Castrucci. The Gaels outscored the Waves 3-2 in the final period, but their late comeback effort fell just short, as Pepperdine secured the 14-12 victory.
GAME NOTES
- Hamish Ellison recorded a career-high seven goals, tying the program single match record, and bringing his season total to 29, moving him into second on the team in goals. He also won two sprints, bringing his season total to 27 which ranks third in the WCC.
- Domenico Barillà and Alessandro Fumo each dished out three assists. Barillà now ranks ninth in the WCC in assists with 32.
- Harry Irwin recorded a brace, his seventh multi-goal match of the year.
- Noah Bigara drew seven exclusions, bringing his team-best tally to 70.
- Federico Castrucci finished with eight saves and five steals. He ranks second in the WCC with 40 steals and seventh in saves with 118 on the season.
Saint Mary's will close out West Coast Conference regular-season action on Sunday, November 8 at 12:00 p.m. as it heads to San Jose State to take on the Spartans. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+ and additional match information can be found at smcgaels.com.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
UTL
/ Men's Water PoloUTL
/ Men's Water PoloGK
/ Men's Water PoloDEF
/ Men's Water PoloATT
/ Men's Water PoloATT
/ Men's Water PoloATT
/ Men's Water PoloATT
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