UPCOMING — The Pepperdine women’s soccer team (3-6-6 overall, 0-2-1 WCC) is headed down the homestretch of the 2007 season. Only four games remain, and the Waves host San Francisco and Saint Mary’s this weekend looking to break through with their first conference victories.

MATCH #16 — Friday (Oct. 26) at Tari Frahm Rokus Field: Pepperdine vs. San Francisco (2-9-3, 2-1-0) at 3 p.m.

MATCH #17 — Sunday (Oct. 28) at Tari Frahm Rokus Field: Pepperdine vs. Saint Mary’s (6-7-2, 0-3-0) at 1 p.m.

TICKETS — Single-match tickets to all home women’s soccer games are $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and free to all Pepperdine students and faculty with a university ID.

OPPONENT INFO — Pepperdine is 6-8 all-time against San Francisco and the Dons have won three straight in the series. The Waves are 4-2 in games played in Malibu ... Pepperdine is 4-6-3 all-time against Saint Mary’s, though the Waves are unbeaten in the last five meetings (3-0-2). In six games in Malibu, the teams are 2-2-2.

TIME OFF — The Waves were playing in San Diego last Sunday (Oct. 21) at the same time a large fire had broken out in the Malibu community and near campus. The university was shut down and the team, unable to return to Malibu, stayed at a hotel the first night and then dispersed to family and friends’ homes before returning for practice on Wednesday.

LAST WEEK — The Waves continued to play very good soccer but still had little to show for it after a 2-1 loss at #9 Santa Clara on Friday (Oct. 19) and a 1-1 tie at #11 San Diego on Sunday (Oct. 21). Against the Broncos, Sophia Medina gave the Waves a dream start with a second-minute goal and Pepperdine held the lead for 70+ minutes. But Santa Clara scored goals in the 74th and 75th minutes. Then, after giving up a 79th-minute score to San Diego, the Waves tied it in the 87th minute on a Mckenzie Hill strike.

TOUGH SCHEDULE — Pepperdine’s record can be explained partly by the fact that the Waves have played possibly the most difficult schedule in the country. The win-loss total of Pepperdine’s 15 opponents thus far is 128-60-42 (.648) according to the NSCAA scoreboard. And, according to www.soccerratings.com, at one point this season Pepperdine had the highest-rated strength of schedule in the country. The site also ranked Pepperdine at #52 nationally last week despite having only three wins.

TIES — Pepperdine’s fifth tie of the season (which came in the 11th game) set a new school record, surpassing the four that were recorded in 1998. The 2007 total now stands at six ties.

YOUTH — The nucleus of Pepperdine’s team will be together for two straight years, as the 2007 Waves have only three seniors, two of whom are in their final year of eligibility. The breakdown is as follows: three seniors, eight juniors, six sophomores and seven freshmen.

WCC STATS — Pepperdine is fifth in the conference in goals-against average (0.98) and seventh in goals scored (1.00) ... Kayla Stolte is sixth in goals-against average (0.98) and seventh in saves (3.5 per game) ... Amanda Rupp is tied for fifth in assists (five) and 10th in points (13) ... Emily Wynne is fourth in shots per game (2.7) and tied for 10th in assists (three).

TIM WARD — Now in his 10th year as head coach of the Waves, Tim Ward has developed Pepperdine to where it is on the verge of being a national power. The Waves have made the NCAA Tournament in five of the last six years. Ward has been with Pepperdine from nearly the beginning, as the program was established in 1993 and he became an assistant coach in 1994 before being elevated to the head position in 1998.

GOOD WORK — One of the team’s goals is to be the most socially conscious program in the country, so most Pepperdine women’s soccer players weren’t wasting away the summer at the beach. Among the interesting accomplishments from summer 2007: senior midfielder McKenzie Hill, junior midfielder Jenna Shay and junior forward Emily Wynne spent three weeks in Uganda, Africa, putting on soccer clinics and volunteering at a medical clinic in a rural village ... Freshman defender Cammie Burke did a month of community service in Fiji ... Junior defender Ashley Copp studied vertebrate biology in Argentina ... Junior forward Amanda Rupp studied in Florence, Italy ... Junior midfielder Samantha Hire and junior defender Michaela Carrera went on a mission trip to Honduras.

WCC PRESEASON POLL — The Waves were picked to finish third in the West Coast Conference in 2007 in a preseason vote of the coaches. Only long-time powers Portland and Santa Clara ranked ahead of Pepperdine. Following the Waves in the voting were San Diego, Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga, San Franciso and Saint Mary’s.

PEPPERDINE HISTORY — The Waves have made five NCAA Tournament appearances in their 14-year history, with all of them coming in the last six years. Pepperdine advanced to the Sweet 16 in both 2002 and 2005. The Waves also captured a share of the 2002 WCC title.

2006 RECAP — The Waves fell on the bubble heading into the 2006 postseason and unfortunately were not awarded an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament despite an 11-6-3 record and a third-place finish in the WCC at 4-2-1. Lindsey Redlin and Emily Wynne each tied a school record with 10 assists and made the All-WCC first team and second team, respectively. Kelsey Baker was also on the second team and Jen Brewer and Sophia Medina were honorable mention. Medina and Courtney Price made the WCC All-Freshman team.

TARI FRAHM ROKUS FIELD — Located on the campus of Pepperdine University, Tari Frahm Rokus Field might just be the most beautiful soccer facility in the nation with its view of the Pacific Ocean. It has been the Waves’ home field since the program was established in 1993. The Waves have won more than 70 percent of their home games at Rokus Field, which is surrounded by the Stotsenberg Track.

UP NEXT — The Waves’ home finale is on Sunday, Nov. 4, against Portland.