Aug 23, 2013
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WAVES 2013 VIDEO PREVIEW | GAME NOTES 
August 23, 2013
MALIBU, Calif. - Pepperdine women's soccer is set to embark on its third decade when it welcomes No. 18 Cal to Malibu for the 2013 regular season opener Monday, August 26 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Fresh off its second consecutive NCAA postseason berth, the Waves look ready to challenge once again in what promises to be yet another formidable West Coast Conference race.
WARD FORECASTS THE WAVES: PepperdineSports.com sat down with head coach Tim Ward, senior defender Kristin DeGrandmont (Portland, Ore./Jesuit HS) and junior forward Amanda LeCave (Windsor, Calif./Windsor HS) to preview the 2013 season. Check out the video by clicking the player below.
WAVES IN THE POLLS: After spending the entire 2012 campaign in the top-25 in at least one of the major polls, Pepperdine continued the streak earning votes in the NSCAA Preseason Poll. The Waves captured 37 votes. 2013 NSCAA Preseason Poll
WILLIAMS NAMED TO MAC HERMANN AWARD WATCH LIST: Junior forward Lynn Williams earned a spot on the 2013 MAC Hermann Award Watch Preseason List. Williams is the second Pepperdine student-athlete in as many seasons to crack the list for the award presented to the top collegiate soccer player in the country. All-American Michelle Pao (Cupertino, Calif./Monta Vista HS) cracked the list in 2012. COMPLETE RELEASE
TON OF OFFENSE RETURNS: Pepperdine welcomes back the bulk of its offense from a year ago returning student-athletes which accounted for 24 of the squad's 37 goals in 2012, 17 of 31 assists and 65 of 105 total points. Pepperdine returns four of its five scoring threats from last season including Amanda LeCave (10 goals/0 assists/20 points), Lynn Williams (8/3/19) and Michelle Pao (2/9/13).
WAVES BROADCAST IN CYBERSPACE: All of Pepperdine's home matches during the 2013 regular season will include live streaming video via WaveCasts on PepperdineSports.com. In addition, the Waves will be featured in the West Coast Conference Match of the Week twice: Friday, Oct. 11 vs. Gonzaga and Friday, Nov. 1 at San Francisco streamed live on the WCC Digital platform.
PEPPERDINE ON THE PAC-12 NETWORK: Pepperdine's match at USC Friday, Sept. 13 will be televised live on the Pac-12 Network.
TOUGH SCHEDULE: Pepperdine will play one of the toughest schedules in the country this season and will square off against seven opponents ranked in the NSCAA preseason top-25, including two (No. 5 UCLA and No. 6 BYU) in the top-10. All told the Waves play no fewer than eight matches against teams that advanced to the 2012 NCAA postseason, including five teams that reached the Sweet-16 and two that marched to the quarterfinals.
YOUTH IS SERVED: Pepperdine's 2013 roster features 11 freshmen and 12 newcomers overall. There are 10 upperclassmen on the squad, including four seniors. PEPPERDINE'S 2013 SIGNINGS
UP NEXT: After hosting Cal Monday, Pepperdine concludes its opening two-match homestand with a Thursday contest against Wright State. Match time against the Raiders is set for 3:00 p.m. in the first ever meeting.
WARD WATCH: Head coach Tim Ward enters his 16th year as the top Wave and owns a 173-90-39 (.637), with 10 seasons of double-digit victories. His players have earned All-American status five times, All-West Region honors 23 times, All-WCC notice 80 times and WCC All-Academic awards 31 times. A two-time WCC Coach of the Year (2002 & 2011), Ward has guided the Waves into six NCAA Tournament berths, including two Sweet 16 appearances. In addition, the Waves have finished the year with Top 25 recognition five times and shared the West Coast Conference titles in 2002 and 2011.
CHECK OUT THE TOP PLAYS OF 2012: Check out the top-10 highlights from Pepperdine's remarkable 2012 campaign. 2012 HIGHLIGHTS
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: Pepperdine was picked to finish fourth in the demanding West Coast Conference in a poll of the league coaches. Senior defender Michelle Pao (Cupertino, Calif./Monta Vista HS) and junior forward Lynn Williams (Fresno, Calif./Bullard HS) were both named to the Preseason All-WCC team for the second straight season. In addition, the Waves were picked to finish fourth in the league by TopDrawerSoccer.com. COMPLETE WCC POLL RELEASE | COMPLETE WCC PREVIEW
