Waves Continue Success With 3-1 Win

MALIBU, Calif. Â Freshmen Kylie McDonald and Nicole Romanowski scored their first collegiate goals as the Pepperdine women’s soccer team defeated Cal State Northridge, 3-1, extending the Waves’ unbeaten streak to four games, on Sunday afternoon at Tari Frahm Rokus Field.

McDonald (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) scored the first goal of the game in the third minute and Romanowski (Coto de Caza, Calif./Tesoro HS) scored a big insurance goal in the 82nd minute. In between, sophomore midfielder Sophia Medina (Downey, Calif./Los Alamitos HS) gave the Waves a 2-0 lead in the 29th minute.

“It was a chippy game but I thought our girls handled themselves very professionally,” Pepperdine Coach Tim Ward said. “I’m very pleased that we were able to win the game. It’s a bit of a local rivalry and it was an emotional game. We’ve now gone four games without a loss and we’ve been able to score a bunch of goals, and it’s been fun to see so many different players put the ball into the back of the net.”

It didn’t take long for the Waves (2-4-3) to get on the board. Senior midfielder Mackenzie Hill (Santa Clarita, Calif./Canyon HS) chased down a deflection into the left corner, then sent a cross back across the goal. McDonald put herself in the perfect position in front of the right post, and tapped the ball home at 2:59.

“What we said before the game was that we wanted to score in the first five minutes,” McDonald said. “It helped set the tone for a while. I’m excited about the way we’re playing because we keep getting better every game.”

CSUN (2-6-1) had some tremendous chances midway through the first half, with four excellent shot attempts coming in quick succession. Pepperdine junior goalkeeper Kayla Stolte (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS) was up to the task and stopped three shots in three minutes, including one on a breakaway and another on a dangerous free kick.

The Waves got through that stretch to take a 2-0 lead in the 29th minute. Junior forward Amanda Rupp (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon HS) sent in a cross from the right side. There was a scramble in front of the box, and the ball made its way to Medina in front of the left post. She knocked it in for her second goal of the season.

After halftime, CSUN continued to press and cut the deficit in half in the 71st minute. Sophomore defender Sydney Vermillion sent a long ball up the field and freshman forward Salma Tarik moved it on toward the goal. Sophomore forward Poirsha Woolfork got to the ball first and scored from just a few yards away, her first of the season.

Though the Matadors were aiming to tie the game up, Romanowski gave the Waves an important insurance goal in the 82nd minute. She took a long pass from junior forward Emily Wynne (El Cajon, Calif./University HS) and unleashed a bomb from 35-plus yards away. Her shot had such force that CSUN’s goalkeeper couldn’t handle it and the ball found the back of the net.

“It felt good to get one,” Romanowski said. “It was time because I’ve missed a few shots like that. But I’ve been practicing and hitting a lot of them. I think it helped give the team some reassurance at the end of the game.”

The Waves’ seven-game non-conference homestand comes to an end next weekend when Pepperdine hosts Sacramento State (Friday, Oct. 5) and Hawaii (Sunday, Oct. 7).

PEP (2-4-3)           2      1      =      3

CSUN (2-6-1)       0      1      =      1

Goals: Kylie McDonald (Mckenzie Hill), PEP, 2:59; Sophia Medina (Amanda Rupp), PEP, 28:55; Poirsha Woolfork (Salma Tarik, Sydney Vermillion), CSUN, 70:36; Nicole Romanowski (Emily Wynne), PEP, 81:50.

Shots: PEP 12, CSUN 12.        Corner Kicks: PEP 2, CSUN 4.        Saves: PEP 5, CSUN 4.        Fouls: PEP 14, CSUN 17.

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