UCSB Edges Pepperdine 3-2
8/31/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
The victory improved UCSB’s record to 3-1 and dropped the Waves to 0-2-1.
“It was a well-taken goal, but it was cruel,” Pepperdine head coach Tim Ward said. “It’s the kind of goal that our opponents are getting and we’re not.”
The game-winner originated from the near sideline in UCSB’s attacking third as the ball zipped through the penalty kick area before being settled by Kailyn Kugler. Kugler played it forward to Simon, who quickly buried it into the lower left corner past the arms of a diving Kayla Stolte (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS).
It was the first goal allowed by Pepperdine this season on a running play. The two previous Gaucho scores came off set pieces in the 7th and 12th minutes.
UCSB’s opening goal came off a Simon corner kick that landed inside the goalmouth. The ball was first touched by Michelle Russell before Kylie McDonald redirected it toward the back of the net.
Minutes later, Simon smacked a free kick that was initially blocked by the Pepperdine defensive wall. But as luck would have it, the Gaucho sophomore collected her rebound and shot a bullet into the upper left corner.
Even though Simon’s goal gave UCSB a reassuring 2-0 lead, it could have easily been 4-0. In between scores, Gennelle Ives blasted a shot off the post that sailed across the face of the net and wide, and in the 10th minute, Stolte denied Simon the hat trick by saving her penalty kick.
Simon finished the match with five points and placed all three of her shots on goal.
Pepperdine began to pick up the pace offensively in the latter stages of the first half but didn’t light its end of the scoreboard until the 49th minute when Laura Cole (Whittier, Calif./La Habra HS) connected with Amanda Rupp (Encinitas, Calif./Encinitas HS).
Rupp rushed through the defense after receiving a through- ball from Cole just over the halfway line. And after shaking off the last defender, Rupp beat UCSB goalkeeper Tammy Lenham in a one-vs.-one situation just inside the 18-yard box.
Rupp’s goal was her first of the season and the 10th of her career.
Ashley Copp (Coronado, Calif./Coronado HS) made it a 2-2 game with a free kick cracker into the upper right corner in the 66th minute.
Even with the momentum back on offense and an electrified crowd supporting them, the Waves could not find the net a third time. Lenham made two saves on Emily Wynne (El Cajon, Calif./University HS) and Rupp’s point-blank attempt with 3:31 left in regulation was blocked by a Gaucho defender.
UCSB began to ratchet up its offense at the same time, but a shot from Kugler was cleared off the line by a Wave defender and Stolte saved an Alyssa Benjamin attempt prior to surrendering the game-winner.
Stolte left the field with four saves while Lenham was credited with six.
“I believe we’re going to win especially if we can play for 90 minutes as well as we played today in the second half,” Ward said. “So if I’m disappointed in anything it’s the way we started, we just didn’t get into it early enough. But I’m convinced we’ll bounce back.”
Offensively, Pepperdine outshot UCSB 18-13 and received seven corner kicks to the Gaucho’s three. Wynne once again led all players with six shots and placed four on frame.
The Waves continues their homestand next weekend playing host to the Pepperdine Nike Challenge, which features the home team and West Coast Conference rival San Diego taking turns battling Northwestern and Iowa of the Big Ten Conference.
Friday’s doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. with San Diego vs. Northwestern. Sunday’s twinbill kicks off at 10:30 a.m.
