SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Pepperdine women's soccer (10-6-2, 7-2-1 WCC) will play the San Francisco Dons (3-10-4, 2-6-2 WCC) Saturday afternoon at Negoesco Stadium with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m.
 
"We are really proud of how we have been playing for the last month or so and we all want to finish strong tomorrow," Head Coach Tim Ward said. "If we can do our best, I think we are going to be really proud of the outcome."
 

• The Waves suffered a 0-1 loss at the hands of the Portland Pilots in Malibu Wednesday.
• The Pilot game-winner came in the 64th minute off a clearance from the middle of the backline.
• Dropping to 7-2-1 in West Coast Conference play, the Waves will need some help Saturday to clinch the championship title.

 
GAME NOTES
 

• Pepperdine is second in the conference with 38 goals scored by 14 different players.
• Quinonez leads the squad with nine goals, while Wynalda leads the team and conference with nine assists.
• Ariana Markey, Alex Pendleton, Layla Simon, Sarah Spears and Lily Stewart have all scored their first collegiate goals this season.
• Through 18 matches, Julia Quinonez leads the team in points with 21, scoring nine goals and notching three assists.
• Surpassing her stats from two seasons ago where she was the WCC Freshman of the Year, Quinonez is second in the West Coast Conference in goals with nine and second in points with 21.
• As one of the captains leading the team through 18 matches, Kyra Murphy cemented her name in the record books with five straight matches with a goal or assist  (9/7 - 10/4), tying for third in program history.
• With 19 starts and six goals throughout her collegiate career entering this season, Murphy has over doubled her career points, with 13 so far this season.
• With nine assists on the season, Wynalda sits at 22nd in the nation for assists per match at .53.
• Leading the team with nine assists, Wynalda has had a hand in just under one-third of the Waves goals.
• Wynalda is tied with Tabitha LaParl and Peyton Leonard to lead Pepperdine with two match-winning goals, both coming in conference matchups against Seattle and Pacific.
• Wynalda becomes just the 13th Wave in history to have two or more multi-assist games in a single season after the two at San Diego, currently just one match behind the top spot of three matches.
• Starting in every game, Jillian Medvecky has collected 73 saves this season with seven shutouts, averaging just over four saves a match.
• Medvecky earned her first start freshman year against #3 UCLA and she has not lost the spot since making seven saves in the 1-0 upset win.
• To win the West Coast Conference for the second year in a row, the Waves need some help from other teams. 
• If Pepperdine beats San Francisco, a tie or loss from Saint Mary's against Santa Clara will clinch the title for the Waves.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• In 32 matches against San Francisco, Pepperdine holds the advantage 19-10-3.
• On the road, the Waves are an even 8-8 against the Dons.
• Last season, Pepperdine beat San Francisco 3-0 at home to clinch the 2024 title.
• Now in a similar scenario, the Waves have to win Saturday to ensure a chance at the championship.
• The Waves have not lost to the Dons in a decade, losing a closely contested 0-1 battle on the road.

 
SCOUTING THE DONS

• Going 3-10-4 on the season, two of San Francisco's three wins have come in conference.
• A tough non-conference slate did not break in the Don's favor as they faced #7 Stanford, Cal, and #18 Texas Tech in consecutive matches.
• Last time out, San Francisco had their best offensive performance of the year, beating San Diego 4-1
• With 12 goals on the season, Kaitlyn Sasadeusz leads the squad with five.

 
With a scheduled kickoff for 1 p.m., the Waves will not know their fate as the match ends as the Gaels kickoff at the same time. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required) and live stats will be available at www.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 319-157-78.
TICKETS
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women's soccer news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWSOC