MALIBU, Calif.  – Playing at home with a West Coast Conference title on the line, the Pepperdine women's soccer team fell 3-1 to the #19 Gonzaga Bulldogs in Malibu on Saturday.

Needing either a win or a tie to win the Waves' (9-4-5, 6-2 WCC) fifth WCC title, a strong first-half start from the Bulldogs (13-3-2, 6-1-1 WCC) a hat trick from Gonzaga's Giana Riley and solid defense between the posts by Lauren Towne handed Pepperdine its second loss in conference play. The win gave Gonzaga its first WCC title in program history.

"I thought we had our moments," Pepperdine head coach Tim Ward said. "We started a little flat — maybe the weight of the occasion got to us. I've been doing this for 30 years, and I've learned to try to lighten the mood. Everyone was hyped, but heavy."

The Bulldogs took control of the match early with Riley's first of three goals in the fourth minute. Gonzaga's early lead was unfamiliar territory for the Waves, who had trailed for only five minutes in their six-game win streak leading up to Saturday's first half. Less than 15 minutes later, the Bulldogs drew a free kick, which Riley netted to give Gonzaga a 2-0 lead in the 19th minute.

Yet Pepperdine had its chances. Freshman Peyton Leonard (Ladera Ranch, Calif./San Juan Hills HS) took control in Pepperdine's back line. Breakaway run after breakaway run from Tori Waldeck (Newhall, Calif./Hart HS) appeared to give the Waves moments they needed to get back in the game. Goalkeeper Taylor Rath (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde HS) made back-to-back saves in the 28th minute that prevented Gonzaga from adding to its lead. Despite their efforts, the Waves found themselves down 2-0 at halftime.

Early in the second half, Waldeck appeared to get the Waves on the board with a beautiful strike from the right side, yet a late offsides call wiped the goal off the board, sending the Waves sideline and the Pepperdine crowd in disbelief.

But Pepperdine wouldn't have to wait much longer to regain momentum. When Waldeck did break through in the 58th minute, Karina Gonzalez (Sanger, Calif/Hallmark Charter School) was at the right place at the right time. Waldeck's cross found Gonzalez, who gathered possession and baited Gonzaga goalkeeper Lauren Towne further away from the goal. Gonzalez passed to Kyra Murphy (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King HS), whose chip-in found the back of the net.

"I knew to go at the back post because most defenders don't watch the blind spot," Gonzalez said, recalling the goal. "A lot of times the ball goes through, so I figured I'd get the trash. And that's what I ended up doing. I also made sure to find Kyra to make sure it went in, and I think she redirected it."

The tenor of the match flipped with Murphy's goal. Spurred by the team's newfound hope, Pepperdine controlled possession for the majority of the second half. All told, Pepperdine out-shot the Bulldogs 10-3 in the second half, and nearly equalized with a header from Alex Sampson (Phoenix, Ariz./Desert Vista HS) hit the crossbar.

However, Gonzaga dashed any comeback hopes quickly when it subbed in Riley, who scored on a header of her own moments later to make the score 3-1 in favor of the Bulldogs in the 73rd minute. Needing to score two goals in less than 20 minutes to win the WCC title, the Waves couldn't get anything going down the stretch despite a scoreless 12 minutes from Harlee Head (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County HS) in relief.

For the second time in as many years, the Waves saw another team win a WCC title at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Last season, Santa Clara's late goal with less than 10 minutes left was Pepperdine's undoing. 

"We really wanted to raise our fifth title in light of the tragedy not for ourselves, but to lift up the Pepperdine University community as a whole," Ward said, alluding to the loss of four Seaver College students Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams, who passed away in a car accident on Pacific Coast Highway on Oct. 18. "I'm really hoping we get a shot [at the postseason]. We're squarely on the bubble like we were last season, but we'll find out Monday."

The NCAA women's selection show will be livestreamed on NCAA.com next Monday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. PT. Should Pepperdine's name be called, it will be the program's 13th NCAA Tournament appearance. As of Nov. 3, the Waves were ranked 36th in RPI.

STATS

Shots: Pepperdine 16, Gonzaga 10

Shots on Goal: Pepperdine 7, Gonzaga 8

Saves: Taylor Rath (Pepperdine) 5, Harlee Head (Pepperdine) 0; Lauren Towne (Gonzaga) 5

Corner Kicks: Pepperdine 6, Gonzaga 3

Fouls: Pepperdine 2, Gonzaga 5

Offside: Pepperdine 2, Gonzaga 3