Waves hold defending national champions scoreless in 1-0 victory, Sunday’s win over San Diego assures spot in NCAA tournament
By Jeremy Tammaro
Sports Assistant
The Pepperdine women’s soccer team is a force to be reckoned with. Just ask the defending national champion Santa Clara Broncos and they will attest to this truth.
Five days after disposing of the No. 2 Portland Pilots, the Waves welcomed the defending champs to Malibu for last Friday’s match. Santa Clara came into the day with a No. 4 ranking and a four-match winning streak, but by the end of the day, the streak fell, and undoubtedly so will Santa Clara in the national rankings.
“It’s a great win,” Waves Head Coach Tim Ward said.
The Waves shutout Santa Clara 1-0, tying the school’s single season record for wins (13) and home victories (8), and in the process the Waves became the first school in the West Coast Conference to defeat both Portland and Santa Clara in the same season.
“It’s sort of funny,” Ward continued. “At Portland (Oct. 20) something clicked with us on how to defend as a team. The light bulb went off. We believe.”
With her third straight shutout in as many starts, freshman goalkeeper Anna Picarelli certainly made believers out of any remaining skeptics.
“(Picarelli) has a great presence about her,” Ward said. “She radiates confidence to the defenders around her.”
The Broncos out shot the Waves 9-4, forcing Picarelli to make four saves in the process.
“Our defense played incredible,” Picarelli said. “We stuck together and got a good win.”
And a lucky break.
In the 63rd minute a streaking Bronco shot hit off the crossbar and flew out of play.
“The post can be a good friend or an enemy,” Picarelli said.
This time it just happened to be a good friend, and that precious ally helped the Waves hold on during the second half.
“The last five minutes were the most intense parts of the game,” Picarelli said. “It was awesome to hear the last 10 seconds (being counted down).”
It was also awesome to see the Waves put the ball in the back of the net against a very tough Bronco’s defense.
Junior midfielder Janelle Hillseth, lovingly known as Flintstone Feet, gathered a rebound in the box and scooted it past Bronco’s sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Sobolik in the 47th minute for the Waves’ lone goal of the day. The goal was Hillseth’s second of the season.
“I was a little fired up,” Hillseth said smiling. “I guess I was just in the right place.”
And the Waves always happen to be in the right place at the right time.
“We’re going to have our chances,” Ward said. “God is watching over us.”
God was in attendance Sunday as the Waves faced and defeated the University of San Diego Toreros, 3-1.
The Waves scoring on the afternoon began in the 22nd minute with a few familiar faces doing what they do best. Freshman forward Jenna Fodor took a throw-in from junior forward Lacey Ubaldi and put it past the Toreros goalie for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Fodor’s eighth of the season, and Ubaldi’s assist gave her a team leading seven.
Another goal was added a mere 50 seconds later when senior midfielder Tasha Spangler took a pass from sophomore forward Ali Pavoni and beat her defender, giving the Waves a quick 2-0 lead. Spangler’s goal was her second on the year, and Pavoni’s assist was her fourth, tying her with Fodor for the team lead in points with 22.
In the 36th minute, freshman midfielder Lisa Steepleton, in only her third appearance of the season, put in her first goal of her collegiate career with a header in the box to beat the Toreros keeper. Senior midfielder Ann Desmond and sophomore defender Ashley Swanson each recorded an assist on the play.
“I came in and I was really nervous,” Steepleton said. “I was just running around. I happened to be there and just headed it in.”
Ward said he was pleased with Steepleton’s play.
“Steepleton has been training so well,” Ward said. “We had a feeling about (putting her in the game). If anyone deserves a goal it was certainly Lisa.”
Picarelli played stellar goalkeeping, in registering her fourth victory in as many starts.
The Toreros’ only goal came in the 42nd minute when junior midfielder Colleen Fogarty took a shot off a corner kick that wiggled its way through a forest of defenders. The goal marked only the second that Picarelli has given up all season in 21 shots faced.
In all, San Diego only took four shots, and Picarelli made a save on the only other opportunity she had in the match.
“She’s been playing real tough,” Waves Goalkeeper Coach Josh Green said. “She’s very organized. Very solid. I’m very happy.”
Picarelli’s play is made a great deal easier due to the play of the defenders in front of her.
“I’m happy to see a little bit of spirit and intensity (from the defense),” Green added. “They are playing really hard for the team.”
The victory over the University of San Diego set the program’s single-season record for victories (14) and home wins (9). The win also marked the first time in Ward’s five years as head coach that the Waves had beaten the Toreros.
“The win ensures the first winning record for this staff,” Ward said. “With today’s win we are in the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.”
The Pepperdine women’s soccer team looks to capture a win in its final road game of the season this weekend when it makes the trip to the Bay Area for a match against St. Mary’s College this Sunday. The Waves will conclude their regular season at home in two weeks when the team faces the University of San Francisco Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.
October 31, 2002