The #13 Pepperdine women's soccer team won a dramatic conference-opener Wednesday afternoon, defeating Washington State 3-2.
Scoring in the opening 10 minutes for the second straight game, the Waves (7-2-2) took the lead fast and early. Graduate Tori Waldeck (Newhall, Calif.) scored her third goal of the season, capitalizing on a defensive deflection bouncing around in the box.
The Cougars (4-4-3) were quick to respond, leveling the game just four minutes later. Before the half was up, Washington State would take the lead, scoring in the 25th minute to take a 2-1 advantage. Outshooting the Waves in the first 45, it was shaping up to be a defensive-heavy game.
Coming out swinging in the second half, Pepperdine flipped the script entirely. Holding the opponent to just one shot in the latter 45 minutes, the Waves locked down on defense, allowing the offense to flourish. Aided by Washington State, Pepperdine was a man up for the majority of the second half as the Cougars earned a red card, forcing them to play with ten from the 50th minute on.
Pepperdine found the equalizer in the 56th minute. A penalty committed on sophomore Kyra Murphy allowed senior Caroline Coleman (Mission Hills, Kan.) to bury a penalty kick, giving the Waves just over 30 minutes to find a game-winner.
Despite 14 shots on the season, with fived of them on goal, junior Tatum Wynalda (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) had yet to find a goal in 2024. There is no time like the present for Wynalda, especially with the three crucial points on the line. A cross from graduate Megan Edelman (Danville, Calif.) found Wynalda right outside the six, giving her the opportunity to sink it into the left side of the goal.
The #13 Waves win the first conference game of the year after being down at halftime for the first time this season.
GOALS
9' | Waldeck takes advantage of a failed clearance by the Washington State defense, sailing the ball into the back of the net.
13' | Megan Santa Cruz of Washington State puts the ball in a dangerous spot near the Pepperdine goal, giving way to the equalizer to find the back of the net.
25' | Dribbling through the defense in the Waves' 18-yard box,Grayson Lynch finds a goal for the Cougars first lead of the game.
56' | A Cougar foul inside the box gives Coleman the opportunity to bury her second goal of the year and third of her career for a 2-2 game with just over 30 minutes remaining.
62' | For her first goal of the 2024 season, Wynalda placed a cross from Edelman perfectly into the back of the net for the game-winner.
STATS
Shots: Pepperdine 9, Washington State 6
Shots on Goal: Pepperdine 4, Washington State 4
Saves: Jillian Medvecky (Pepperdine) 2,, Nadia Cooper (Washington State) 1
Corner Kicks: Pepperdine 6, Washington State 7
Fouls: Pepperdine 17, Washington State 8
Offsides: Pepperdine 0, Washington State 2
UP NEXT
#13 Pepperdine is on the road for the first time since Sept. 8, going up to Spokane, Wash. to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 6:00 p.m. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
