Final Stats

Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. - The No. 20 Pepperdine women's soccer team suffered its first loss of the season on Sunday afternoon, falling 3-0 to USC at home.

The Trojans took a 1-0 lead on an early penalty kick and the Waves were never able to mount a comeback. Pepperdine falls to 3-1-0 on the year, while USC improves to 1-2-0.

A handball in the box by the Waves led to a USC penalty kick in the 10th minute. Morgan Andrews knocked home the free shot as one of three goals for the visitors in the first half.

Just over eight minutes later the Trojans would add a second score, this time getting a good cross into the box which Sydney Sladek scored on one touch.

Rylee Baisden (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) nearly got one back in the 23rd minute, when she got free behind the USC defense on a counterattack. Her shot from the right side of the box sailed just high on what was probably the Waves' most dangerous chance of the day.

USC would score its third goal just before the half. Taylor McMorrow cleaned up a loose ball in the box for her first goal of the year, making it a 3-0 contest.

Pepperdine had a couple of good chances in the second half, but couldn't find the finishing touch. In the 73rd minute Baisden sent in a dangerous free kick to the box that Danielle Thomas (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS) got a head on, but the ball went right to the USC keeper. Kristen Rodriguez (Inglewood, Calif./Notre Dame Academy) later fired in a hard cross that Hailey Stenberg (Huntington Beach, Calif./Mater Dei HS) was able to get on the end of, but her header attempt went wide with just over 10 minutes to play.

Hannah Seabert (Riverside, Calif./Woodcrest Christian HS) made three saves in the game and Sammy Prudhomme made four stops for the Trojans. USC owned a 14-7 shot advantage.

The Waves are back in action on Friday when they hit the road for an east coast road trip starting at Maryland with a 1 p.m. (Pacific) game. Pepperdine then heads to No. 4 Virginia on Sunday.