MALIBU, California – The #22 Pepperdine women's soccer team played #9 Vanderbilt evenly for most of the match, but the Commodores got a late goal to earn a 1-0 victory between the two nationally ranked teams on Sunday afternoon.
 
Both teams were impressive defensively, as only 12 shots were recorded for the entire contest, eight by Vanderbilt (4-0).
 
The Waves (1-2-1) might have had the best chance of either team for the first 80+ minutes. In the 12th minute, junior forward Brie Welch (Arroyo Grande, Calif./Arroyo Grande HS) sent a terrific ball ahead of freshman midfielder Shelby Little (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Hillcrest Christian HS), who was racing ahead on the right. Challenged by a defender, Little still got a hard shot off that forced a nice save by the Vanderbilt goalkeeper.
 
But, the Commodores would eventually notch the game-winner in the 86th minute.
 
GOALS
 
Vanderbilt 86': A high ball was sent into the box and Vanderbilt's Haley Hopkins headed it off to the right side. Her teammate Grace Jackson was there, and she played the ball back across the front of the goal. Hopkins slid in and got to the ball first, knocking it home for the game's only tally.
 
STATS
 
Shots: Pepperdine 4, Vanderbilt 8
Shots on Goal: Pepperdine 3, Vanderbilt 4
Saves: Zoe Clevely (Pepperdine) 0, Kinsey Ehmann (Pepperdine) 3, Lauren Demarchi (Vanderbilt) 1, Taiana Tolleson (Vanderbilt) 2.
Corner Kicks: Pepperdine 2, Vanderbilt 4
Fouls: Pepperdine 12, Vanderbilt 7
Offside: Pepperdine 2, Vanderbilt 0
 
QUOTABLE
 
Pepperdine Coach Tim Ward said: "Congratulations to Vanderbilt, they're a nice side. I thought we played really, really well today. Started a little slow, had to make a tactical switch, and then I thought we played beautifully. I thought we controlled the tempo of the game, the best we have all year. The game came down to moments taken and not taken. We had our moments. There wasn't ever going to be a lot of chances, we had maybe two or three really good ones, but we didn't bury them. A goal like that late in the game, it's tough. At the end of the day, as I told our girls, we're disappointed with the result but really proud of the performance, and if we keep playing like that, good things will follow."
 
NOTABLE

• Pepperdine redshirt freshman goalkeeper Kinsey Ehmann (Paradise Valley, Ariz./Xavier College Preparatory) made her college debut in the sixth minute after starter Zoe Clevely went off injured.
• This was the first-ever matchup between Pepperdine and Vanderbilt.
• This was the second straight Sunday that the Waves hosted a ranked SEC opponent. Last weekend, the Waves tied then-#12 Texas A&M 0-0.

NEXT
 
Pepperdine's first road match is next Friday night (September 6) at Cal Poly at 7 p.m.