MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine women's soccer (9-5-2, 6-1-1 WCC) narrowly lost to Saint Mary's (10-2-3, 5-1-2) 0-1 despite outshooting the Gaels 16-13, including 5-3 on goal.
 
"We've been here before," head Coach Tim Ward said. "The story rarely goes the way you envision it. Proud of the girls for not giving up and battling, but it just was not meant to be for us today."
 
Before the match began, Pepperdine honored nine seniors in Cadee Borg, Kendall Campbell, Megan Edelman, Karina Gonzalez, Tabitha LaParl, Melina Livadas, Kyra Murphy, Tatum Wynalda, and Erin Zeile.
 
In a flurry of a start, the Gaels scored almost as soon as the match started in the third minute of play. Touted as the best defensive team in the West Coast Conference, the Waves were battling to break the backline in the remaining 42 minutes of the half. Unable to do so, it was 1-0 in favor of Saint Mary's at the break.
 
The Waves were able to pick the defense apart a little bit more in the second half, rattling off 10 shots, including one narrowly missing by hitting the crossbar. As time ticked on, Pepperdine thought the equalizer had found its way into the back of the net in the 83rd minute off a corner from LaParl. Bouncing around in the box before finding the goal, it was ultimately deemed offsides.
 
Despite the quality chances to close the match out, Pepperdine could not find a goal through 90 minutes. As the sole loss for the Waves in conference play, it is the first since September 11.
 
This is just the second time this season the Waves have been shut out, the first coming on the road against Arizona State in a similar 0-1 result. With three games to go in conference play, the Waves still sit at the top of the table, ahead of Saint Mary's by just two points.
 
Up next, Pepperdine has the week off before going up to Pullman, Washington next weekend. The match against the Cougars of Washington State is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff Nov. 1. The live stream will be on ESPN+ (subscription required) with live stats available on pepperdinewaves.com.
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN'S SOCCER
Pepperdine women's soccer has been competitive since season one in 1993. As just the third head coach in the program's history, Tim Ward has led the Waves to 14 NCAA tournament appearances, winning the West Coast Conference five separate times and taking his squad to the round of 16 four times, most recently in 2021. With 23 winning seasons, Ward has proven he can lead consistently with excellence, garnering an overall record of 318-156-78.
 
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