Women's Soccer Routs Saint Mary's, 5-1

MALIBU, Calif. Â The Pepperdine women’s soccer team broke out on Sunday afternoon with its most dominating performance of what has been a frustrating season, routing Saint Mary’s 5-1 in West Coast Conference play at Tari Frahm Rokus Field.

The Waves, who improved to 5-6-6 overall and 2-2-1 in conference, got first-half goals from freshman midfielder Nicole Romanowski, senior midfielder Mckenzie Hill and junior forward Amanda Rupp and second-half scores from freshman forward Sage Coralli and sophomore midfielder Joanna Idom.

Pepperdine pounded Saint Mary’s with 27 shots, including 18 on goal, and set season highs for shots, goals, assists (seven) and points (17). Along with Friday’s 2-0 win over San Francisco, this is the first time that the Waves have won back-to-back games all season. It’s only the sixth time this season the Waves have scored two or more goals in a game.

Saint Mary’s (6-9-2, 0-5-0) got its goal from sophomore defender Jessica Menzhuber late in the second half when the score was already 4-0. The Gaels attempted only six shots.

“This is the win we’ve deserved all year,” Pepperdine Coach Tim Ward said. “We’ve played this way all year, but today the ball actually went into the back of the net. We played exceptional soccer today. Despite where we are in the standings, the response from the team has been incredible. We now need to carry this momentum to our next game against Portland.”

It didn’t take long at all for the Waves to get on the scoreboard, as Romanowski (Coto de Caza, Calif./Tesoro HS) scored her second goal of the season at 4:11. Junior defender Ashley Copp (Coronado, Calif./Coronado HS) sent in a free kick from near midfield, and freshman defender Cammie Burke (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines HS) headed it toward the goal. It bounced off the crossbar and caromed back to Romanowski, who one-timed it in from about eight yards away.

It took a while to get the second and third goals, but they came in quick succession. Sophomore forward Alexis Farler (Roseville, Calif./Granite Bay HS) won the ball on the left side and slid it into the middle for Hill (Santa Clarita, Calif./Canyon HS), who dribbled to her right and hit a hard, low shot from 25 yards that made it inside the left post. It was her second goal of the season and it came at 34:19. Then, less than four minutes later, Coralli (Plano, Texas/John Paul II HS) hit a long shot that forced the Saint Mary’s goalkeeper to make a diving save, but Rupp (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon HS) was right there to knock in the rebound from a couple of yards away for her team-high fifth goal of the season at 37:57.

Pepperdine’s fourth score came at 65:32 as Coralli notched her first collegiate goal. Freshman forward Rebecca Klamser (Ventura, Calif./Buena HS) passed the ball up the middle of the field for Coralli, who got around a defender and scored on a shot from 20 yards away.

Saint Mary’s prevented the Waves from earning a shutout in the 84th minute. After a corner kick attempt was cleared away, the ball went to Menzhuber, who hit a well-placed chip shot from 20 yards that found the upper-right corner of the net.

The Waves weren’t done on the scoring column, however, getting their fifth and final goal with just six seconds left on the clock. The Gaels attempted to clear the ball from deep in their end, but junior midfielder Jenna Shay (Canyon Country, Calif./Canyon HS) got a head on it and knocked the ball over to sophomore forward Sophia Medina (Downey, Calif./Los Alamitos HS), who quickly sent a through ball forward for Idom (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS/Cal Baptist). With only the goalkeeper to beat, Idom notched her second goal of the season and her second in two games at 89:54.

“It felt good to get two wins in one weekend for the first time this season, especially at home,” Hill said. “This is just a good feeling. It’s been building toward this and today we let it all out.”

Two games remain in 2007 for the Waves, and their home finale is next Sunday (Nov. 4) against Portland at 1 p.m.

PEP (5-6-6, 2-2-1)          3    2    =    5

SMC (6-9-2, 0-5-0)         0    1    =    1

Goals: Nicole Romanowski (Cammie Burke, Ashley Copp), PEP, 4:11; Mckenzie Hill (Alexis Farler), PEP, 34:19; Amanda Rupp (Sage Coralli), PEP, 37:57; Sage Coralli (Rebecca Klamser), PEP, 65:32; Jessica Menzhuber, SMC, 83:59; Joanna Idom (Sophia Medina, Jenna Shay), PEP, 89:54.

Shots: PEP 27, SMC 6.
Corners: PEP 8, SMC 3.
Saves: PEP 2, SMC 13.
Fouls: PEP 11, SMC 14.

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