Rupp Saves Waves With OT Goal

MALIBU, Calif. Â Pepperdine women’s soccer earned its first win of the season in thrilling fashion Friday afternoon at Tari Frahm Rokus Field, defeating Iowa 1-0 on a goal from senior Amanda Rupp 3:38 into overtime. 

The victory snapped the Waves’ (1-2-1) three-match winless streak and knocked the Hawkeyes back to .500 (2-2).

Rupp (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon HS) was attempting to steal a pass between two Iowa defenders right before the game-winner was scored. The ball appeared to reach the center back’s foot just as Rupp was rushing forward, and the force of their contact created a bloop shot that arced over the head of goalkeeper Emily Moran.

“Rupp did a good job of pressuring the defense and worked hard to make it happen,” Pepperdine head coach Tim Ward said. “It certainly wasn’t our best performance today, but we deserved and really needed this win.”

Rupp’s goal was her second of the season.

Pepperdine dominated all sides of the stat sheet from start to finish, outshooting Iowa 17-2, controlling time of possession, winning jump balls, and earning five corner kicks to the Hawkeyes’ five.

The Waves should have won this match walking away based on those numbers alone, but the Hawkeye goalkeeping tandem of Moran and starter Kali Feiereisel was too tough to crack in combining for nine saves. 

Feiereisel played the entire first half and made four saves, robbing Emily Wynne (El Cajon, Calif./University HS), Samantha Hire (El Cajon, Calif./Christian HS), Ashley Copp (Coronado, Calif./Coronado HS) and Sophia Medina (Downey, Calif./Los Alamitos HS). Three of those saves were made in a seven-minute span, and then Iowa didn’t allow another shot after the 32nd minute.

As has become a second-half tradition, the Pepperdine offense came out fired up and sprayed Moran with seven shots in the first 20 minutes. Three of those attempts were saved by Moran while another was cleared off the line by an Iowa defender.

By comparison, Iowa could not find its offensive rhythm in either half as the Waves’ defense limited the Hawkeyes to just one shot per half.

Starting defenders Haleigh Guertin (Corona, Calif./Santiago HS), Myriah Stockman (Sandy, Utah/Brighton HS), Cammie Burke (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines HS) and Kelsey Baker (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) made it an easy day for senior goalkeeper Kayla Stolte (Santee, Calif./West Hills HS), who walked away unscathed in earning the 10th shutout of her career.

Cole and Copp led Pepperdine with five shots each and both placed three of their shots on frame. Wynne recorded two shots and Hire was credited with three.

The Waves’ next home match is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. against Northwestern in the fourth and final contest of the Pepperdine Nike Challenge. San Diego and Iowa will be on the field beforehand at 10:30 a.m.

The Wildcats (2-2) are coming off a 3-2 loss to San Diego (2-2) in the first half of Friday’s doubleheader at Tari Frahm Rokus Field.

Northwestern jumped out to 2-0 first-half lead after scoring off a pair of set pieces in the 11th and 41st minutes, but the Toreros stormed back with three unanswered goals in the second-half from Jackie Zinke, Jackie Garcia and Jen Mello. 

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