Aug. 20, 2010
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Pepperdine-Fresno State Box Score 
MALIBU, Calif. - Forwards Laura Cole and Anisa Guajardo scored goals in each half and the Pepperdine women's soccer team got its 2010 season off to a rousing start with a 2-0 victory over visiting Fresno State on Friday afternoon at Tari Frahm Rokus Field.
The Waves (1-0-0) won their season opener for the second year in a row and the sixth time in the last eight seasons.
"All in all, I'm really pleased with today," Pepperdine Coach Tim Ward said. "We had some really dangerous moments. I see some differences between last year and this year already. Something was clicking today. We had some really nice combinations and good looks at goal."
It didn't take long for the Waves to get on the scoreboard. In the seventh minute, Cole (Whittier, Calif./La Habra HS) played a ball over the top to junior forward Michelle Spacciapolli (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic/Boston College), and Spacciapolli got past the defense and into the box. She was knocked down from behind and the Waves were awarded a penalty kick.
Cole calmly put the PK into the back of the net for a 1-0 Pepperdine lead. The junior forward scored six goals as a freshman but did not get on the scoreboard in 2009, and so her return to form is a key for the Waves' attack.
"It was a deserved penalty," Ward said. "I'm happy and pleased for Laura, she took it well."
Though Pepperdine outshot Fresno State 6-3 in the first half, the Bulldogs (0-1-0) had two quality chances to tie it late in the period. In the final 10 minutes, Nicole Duff's wide-open one-timer from inside the box went over the bar, and Vanessa Gonzales' shot from distance went inches wide right of the goal.
Guajardo (Clovis, Calif./Buchanan HS) nearly put the Waves up 2-0 early in the second half. In the 49th minute, she had an uncontested header less than 10 yards from the goal, but hit it down with such force that it bounced up over the top of the crossbar.
She made amends in the 69th minute, however. Guajardo worked the ball down the left flank and into the box, and made a short pass to sophomore forward Callie Payetta (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach HS). Payetta poked the ball back to Guajardo, who nailed a low drive across the goal and into the right side of the net.
It was the third career goal for Guajardo, who scored twice in limited action last season as a freshman. Payetta recorded her first career assist on the play.
Pepperdine finished with advantages in shots (12-6) and corner kicks (6-1). Ward was also pleased by his defense, as sophomore goalkeeper Roxanne Barker (Irvine, Calif./Woodbridge HS) needed to make just three saves for her ninth career shutout.
"One of our goals every year is to set the school shutout record," he said. "We got out of the gates in a great way today. The back four and Roxy played very well."
Next weekend, the Waves head south to play in a University of San Diego-hosted tournament, where they'll take on Michigan (Friday, Aug. 27, 5 p.m.) and Arizona (Sunday, Aug. 29, 2 p.m.).
"Today was a good result," Ward said. "I saw some good things and I saw some things we need to work on. It'll make the next week of training better knowing we got the result."
