Waves Visit UCSB, Host LMU
10/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
October 9, 2007
UPCOMING — The Pepperdine women’s soccer team (2-4-5), unbeaten in its last six games, closes out non-conference play this Thursday at UC Santa Barbara, then begins its West Coast Conference schedule this Sunday at home against local rival Loyola Marymount.
MATCH #12 — Thursday (Oct. 11) at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.: Pepperdine at UC Santa Barbara (5-5-2) at 7 p.m.
MATCH #13 — Sunday (Oct. 14) at Tari Frahm Rokus Field: Pepperdine vs. Loyola Marymount (8-3-1) 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 7-2-0 overall against UC Santa Barbara and has won the last six meetings. The schools last met in 2003 ... Pepperdine is 8-3-3 all-time against Loyola Marymount. The schools played to a scoreless tie in Los Angeles in 2006.
LAST WEEKEND — Matches against Sacramento State and Hawaii played out in almost similar fashion at home last weekend, as in both games the Waves scored a first-half goal, conceded a goal late in the second half, outshot the opponent by wide margins, but had to settle for 1-1 ties. Amanda Rupp scored both of the Waves’ goals, scoring off assists from Sage Coralli vs. Sacramento State and Kelsey Baker vs. Hawaii. Pepperdine had a 23-7 shot advantage over the Hornets and 14-6 over the Rainbow Wahine. Sacramento State scored its goal at 88:15 and Hawaii scored its goal at 79:11.
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 11 opponents thus far is 71-36-21 (.637) according to the NSCAA scoreboard. And, in last week’s figures at soccerratings.com, Pepperdine had the highest-rated strength of schedule in the country. The site also listed as Pepperdine at #47 nationally despite having only two 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.
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 (0.91) and seventh in goals scored (1.00) ... Kayla Stolte is fourth in goals-against average (0.91) and seventh in saves (3.3) ... Amanda Rupp is tied for fifth in goals (four) and tied for ninth in points (10).
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 make their first extended trip since the start of the season as they play at Santa Clara and San Diego on Friday and Sunday, Oct. 19 and 21, respectively.
