Waves Look To Rebound vs. Bakersfield
10/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Pepperdine Waves (6-4) vs. Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners (4-7-1) - Tari Frahm Rokus Field - 3 p.m. - Malibu, Calif.
MALIBU, Calif. - After missing almost a year's worth of soccer due to injuries, redshirt freshman Kelsea Smith (Camarillo, Calif./Oaks Christian HS) is back on the pitch and becoming an impact player for the Pepperdine soccer team.
"I think her performances are a big reason why we've already pitched five shutouts this season," head coach Tim Ward said. "Kelsea is just naturally talented and keeps getting better. She brings a quiet confidence and calmness to the back line, and that confidence is contagious."
Smith wasn't planning on redshirting her freshman year after suffering a pulled muscle in preseason camp, but then she developed plantar fasciitis, which affects the arch of the foot and is notoriously slow to heal. Not only did this setback keep her out the lineup last fall, but it lingered all the way into the spring season.
Smith is still dealing with a little bit of the pain, but it's not bad enough where it's been keeping her out of games or practices.
That first year watching from the sideline was admittedly hard for Smith, but she made the most of those moments as she listened intently to Ward describing certain situations and outcomes. She now feels that her time away from the game has made this year's comeback all the more special.
"By listening to coach on the sidelines and having him describe situational plays as the game was going on gave me a different perspective," Smith said. "I can hear him most of the time even though I'm on the field, but even when I can't, I feel that I know exactly what he's thinking or saying out loud."
Smith grew up in nearby Camarillo, Calif., and played for two of regions' premier soccer teams, Oaks Christian High School and Camarillo Eagles, prior to joining the Waves. These two squads are known for their winning ways, and they racked up a number of national, state and regional championships with Smith on board.
Smith won three CIF titles with Oaks Christian in addition to three state titles and two national championships with Camarillo.
Now that she's at Pepperdine, Smith and her teammates are working hard on ending a four-year draught of NCAA Appearances. The last Waves' team to qualify for postseason play was the 2005 club that reached the Round of 16, meaning that this year's seniors are the only class among this decade's recruits that haven't experienced the 64-team tournament.
Pepperdine, however, is a unified front this year and whatever efforts Smith is putting in for herself she's also putting in for her best friends and teammates.
"I'm surrounded by competitive girls and even though that individual competitiveness exists between us, we feed off that energy and are playing for each other," she said. "I go out there saying I want to win this game for her, and it's easier to think that way when all the girls are getting along so well."
Pepperdine's defense playing has been more than solid this season with Smith anchoring the center back position alongside junior Cammie Burke (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines HS). And together with outside backs Haleigh Guertin (Corona, Calif./Santiago HS) and Myriah Stockman (Sandy, Utah/Brighton HS), Ward is expecting to keep this diversely talented defensive line in place for at least one more season.
"Kelsea has done great things for us this fall and I think it's her speed that really boosts the overall performance of our back line," he said. "We brought her in at halftime of the (season opener) Marquette game and haven't looked back. I'm stoked that she has three-plus years of eligibility."
It would appear that Smith and the Pepperdine defense are catching a bit of a break Thursday when they welcome 4-7-1 Cal State Bakersfield, but Ward is approaching the Roadrunners with extreme caution despite their recent offensive woes.
CSUB, an independent program, is currently mired in a five-match winless streak in which it's been outscored 9-1. The Roadrunners, however, did start the season 4-3 and defeated quality teams from UC Riverside, #13 San Diego, Cal Poly and Eastern Washington.
"Bakersfield is as good as 90 percent of the Division I schools in Southern California and have already nicked off a couple good teams this season" he said. "Anyone on our schedule can beat us if we don't play at our best. This is critical game. We need to improve to 7-4 and get that momentum behind us for Sunday's match with Loyola Marymount."
Pepperdine leads its all-time series with Bakersfield 1-0 after coming from behind in last year's 2-1 victory at CSUB. Burke scored the game-winner in the 56th minute following a corner kick that was deflected inside the goal box.
Sam Pena leads Bakersfield with three goals, while goalkeeper Kym Gause has produced a 1.62 GAA and collected 66 saves.
Pepperdine is offering a special after-school discount for Thursday's game. Kids 14 and under planning to attend the match can click here to print a flyer that's good for a $1 off the price of admission.
