Pepperdine University
#2 Stanford
Waves Take on #2 Stanford
11/8/2023 3:09:00 PM | Women's Soccer
MALIBU, Calif. — The Pepperdine women's soccer team will face #2 seeded Stanford on the road in the first round of the NCAA College Cup this week.
MATCH #19 — Friday (Nov. 10) at Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif.:Pepperdine (9-4-5) at Stanford (15-0-4) at 6 p.m. PT
WATCH/ONLINE — The match will be live on ESPN+ (subscription required). Links to live stats and the stream can be found at PepperdineWaves.com.
TICKETS — Tickets to the game can be found at https://tickets.gostanford.com/section/womens-soccer-eu0x and tickets start at $20 for general admission. Tickets bought in advance are at a discounted rate but are also available at the gate. Parking is free after 4 p.m. on weekdays, and gates open one hour before kickoff at 5 p.m.
OPPONENTS — Pepperdine is 2-1-0 all-time against Stanford ... The last time the Waves saw the Cardinals was in 2020.
LAST TIME ON THE PITCH — The Waves collected a WCC win against San Francisco last week on the road. On Wednesday, Nov. 1, Pepperdine defeated the Dons 4-0 at Negoesco Stadium in San Francisco. The Waves were able to find the back of the net just after the 30th minute when Tori Waldeck found a pass from Kyra Murphy. Waldeck came back with a shot after the half, with a ball from Taylor Bloom, scoring in the 48th minute. Later, in the 79th minute, Kelsey Adams was able to put another goal on the board. Murphy rounded out the Waves 4-0 win with her first career goal. Later in the week, the squad took on Gonzaga for the WCC title, but fell short, 1-3. One goal by Murphy put the Waves on the board, but would not be enough to secure the conference title.
NCAA PLAY — The Pepperdine women's soccer team earned the program's 13th all-time bid into the NCAA Women's College Cup, as announced by the NCAA on Monday afternoon. The squad's furthest run has been to the Sweet 16 four times (2002, 2005, 2014, 2021). The last time the Waves appeared in the NCAA Tournament was in 2021, making it to the Sweet 16, and facing the top-seeded, and eventual national champion Florida State in Tallahassee.
WCC POST-SEASON HONORS — Two Waves earned top honors in the West Coast Conference postseason accolades released this week. Tori Waldeck became Pepperdine's first-ever WCC Offensive Player of the Year, while Julia Quinonez garnered WCC Freshman Player of the Year acclaim. Waldeck and Taylor Bloom tabbed All-WCC first team honors, Quinonez and Tatum Wynalda earned second team nods and Karina Gonzalez earned a spot on the All-WCC honorable mention team. This marked the fourth-consecutive year Pepperdine has put five players on three all-conference teams. As for the freshmen, Quinonez, Peyton Leonard and Ava Verplancke earned Pepperdine its most WCC All-Freshman team selections since three Waves made the list in 2020.
WCC WEEKLY ACCLAIM — The Waves have had five players garner WCC weekly honors this season, with four tabbing offensive acclaim and one receiving a defensive nod. Tatum Wynalda picked up the first offensive accolade of the season for the conference, while also earning the second to last on August 21 and October 30. Julia Quinonez also garnered offensive acclaim this season on August 28 and October 9. Additionally, on August 28, Taylor Rath picked up the defensive player of the week nod.
PRESEASON HONORS — Tatum Wynalda of the Waves received notice on the United Soccer Coaches' preseason forwards to watch list. Additionally, Tori Waldeck and Wynalda were also voted to the preseason All-WCC squad.
ROSTER NUMBERS — The Waves' 27-player roster breakdown is five seniors, two redshirt juniors, four juniors, two redshirt sophomores, six sophomores, three redshirt freshmen and five true freshmen. Pepperdine has six returning starters and 18 letterwinners back.
WCC — The Waves were picked to finish third in the WCC preseason coaches poll for a second consecutive season. The order went as follows: Santa Clara, Portland, Pepperdine, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, San Francisco, Pacific, Loyola Marymount, San Diego.
LAST SEASON — The Waves finished the 2022 season with a 9-4-5 overall record and tied for fifth place in the WCC at 3-3-3. Tatum Wynalda earned All-WCC second team honors and WCC All-Freshman team. Other returning players honored by the league were Taylor Bloom and Kam Pickett, who earned All-WCC honorable mention.
WAVES IN THE PROS — Several Waves have made their marks professionally. Lynn Williams is a three-time NWSL champion (2016 Western New York Flash, 2018 and 2019 North Carolina Courage). In 2016, she was also the NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner. As a member of the U.S. National Team, she's earned 43 caps and scored 14 goals. She won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Williams made her World Cup debut in the summer of 2023. Bri Visalli, who has been part of the U.S. U-23 team, played in England for a couple of seasons before joining the NWSL's Houston Dash in 2020. In January 2019, the Waves had two NWSL Draft selections for the first time in Hailey Harbison (first round to North Carolina) and Michelle Maemone (third round to Utah). Rylee Baisden was named the 2019 Player of the Year in Australia's NPLW and joined the North Carolina Courage in 2020. The Waves have produced two Olympians (Williams and Roxanne Barker, South Africa, 2012 and 2016) and a Women's World Cup participant (Anisa Guajardo, Mexico, 2015). Anna Picarelli played for Italy and Kristi DeVert was the first Wave to suit up with the USWNT. In January 2022, Joelle Anderson signed a two-year professional contract with the Houston Dash. In June 2023, Kelsey Hill signed with Angel City FC as a national team replacement player and on August 17, 2023 signed a full-time contract with Angel City.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 20 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, five times (most recently in back-to-back years during the 2022-23 and 2021-22). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #76 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
