MALIBU, California –
Joelle Anderson's 69th-minute goal was the difference as the #22 Pepperdine women's soccer team earned its second consecutive 1-0 West Coast Conference victory, this time over visiting San Francisco on Saturday afternoon.
The Waves improved to 3-2-0, 2-0-0 in recording their second shutout of the season. The Dons dropped to 1-2-1, 0-2-0.
Pepperdine outshot the opponent for the fifth straight game (11-9), but it was a very evenly contested game. USF's best chance came a few minutes after Anderson's goal when Kaylin Lunsford hit the crossbar.
GOALS
Pepperdine 69': The Waves won the ball in their defensive half, and junior defender
Trinity Watson (Ocean Beach, Calif./Point Loma HS) took several dribbles to get the ball into the Dons' side of the field. She played a perfect through ball ahead of Anderson (San Jose, Calif./Harker School). The senior midfielder quickly shot from 18 yards out toward the left post and the USF keeper had no chance. It was Anderson's first goal of the season and the 22nd of her career, giving her sole possession of ninth place on the Waves' all-time list.
STATS
Shots: Pepperdine 11, San Francisco 9
Shots on Goal: Pepperdine 5, San Francisco 1
Saves:
Zoe Clevely (Pepperdine) 1, Molly Eby (San Francisco) 4
Corner Kicks: Pepperdine 2, San Francisco 5
Fouls: Pepperdine 13, San Francisco 16
Offside: Pepperdine 4, San Francisco 1
QUOTABLE
Pepperdine Coach
Tim Ward said: "Anytime you can win in the West Coast Conference it's a good win. Coach Millinder's USF team is really talented and tough. They're physically strong and organized and really tough to break down. I thought in the first half it was a physical and gritty game and it was tough to find moments. We made some nice adjustments at halftime and as the game started opening up we started holding the ball longer. That was ultimately the key to the game, we started switching the point a little more, and we found some really exceptional moments.
"It ultimately took something special to get the win. Trinity sending the pass to Joelle, it was a very, very nice goal. It was a great pass by Trinity and a great run and well-taken by Joelle. And a shoutout to our defensive unit, everyone played really hard and when you get shutouts, you've been successful."
NEXT
Pepperdine visits Pacific next Saturday (March 13) at 1 p.m.
