Piloted by senior forward Amanda Rupp and an indestructible back line the Pepperdine women’s soccer team concluded its 2008 campaign in exhilarating fashion Saturday afternoon as it shut out conference rival San Francisco 3-0 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. With the win the Waves wrapped up the year in the midst of a three-game winning streak to finish with a .500 record (9-9-2 4-3 WCC) and place fourth in the conference.
“We finished the season with three straight wins a lot of positive feelings a lot of positive energy said Head Coach Tim Ward. Our group had a great time this fall. They loved each other they loved this team and we’re very proud of this group. We made steps back in the direction that we’re trying to be going.”
Before the match the women’s soccer program said farewell to their six seniors – Rupp defender Kelsey Baker midfielders Ashley Copp and Samantha Hire forward Emily Wynne and goalkeeper Kayla Stolte – as part of the annual Senior Day ceremony.
“We will be forever thankful to this group of seniors Ward said. They were the leaders of the charge for us.”
Rupp broke the scoreless tie in the 28th minute with her first goal of the game. At 27:09 Copp fired a ball that deflected off Dons’ goalkeeper Sarah Garland and settled in front of Rupp who launched it into the net from inside the six-yard box for a 1-0 lead.
“We’ve been playing really really good soccer … creating chances and scoring goals Ward said. Our team plays with a lot of confidence when we get on top early.”
Five minutes later Rupp scored again on a post-to-post cross by Wynne to push the score to 2-0. This gave Rupp her team-best 12th goal of the year tying a Waves record for third most scores in a single season with alumni Kristi DeVert Jennifer Peterson Lindsey Redlin and Megan Woods.
Pepperdine added insurance in the 78th minute when junior forward Alexis Farler connected on a pass from junior midfielder Joanna Idom lodging it into the upper right corner of the net for a 3-0 lead.
This was all the Waves would require for victory because the Pepperdine back line sophomores Haleigh Guertin and Cammie Burke and freshmen Myriah Stockman and Kelsey McGovern held San Francisco to just two shots throughout the match. The Waves also went with a bit of a different look in the front as Baker the dependable senior defender had been fighting a hamstring injury and could not resume her duties in the back line.
“[Coach Ward] asked me prior to the game how I was feeling and I told him I wasn’t 100 percent Baker said. He told me for the sake of the team that he wasn’t going to start me in the back.”
So for the first and last time in her collegiate career Baker tried her luck at forward.
“Let’s just say that it’s not as easy at it looks and I got pretty darn tired – but it was fun she said.
The Dons did not have much room to breathe all game, as the Waves tallied a season-high 24 shots to post a commanding 24-2 shot advantage. Wynne led the team with six shots, while Rupp had four on the day and Copp and freshman forward Laura Cole each added three.
The score could have been more lopsided if not for a stellar performance by Garland, who racked up an opponent season high 10 saves. By comparison, Stolte had a relatively easy day in her final game as a Wave; she did not need a single save to record the shutout because the Dons could not place any shots on frame.
We went into the game knowing maybe [San Francisco wasn’t] the strongest opponent Baker said. All around it was a very ‘professional’ (as [Ward] likes to say) performance. We really played to the best of our ability no matter who we were playing.”
On Wednesday seven Waves earned All-WCC honors as chosen by the conference’s seven head coaches. Rupp and Copp made the All-WCC First Team Wynne was selected to the conference’s Second Team and Cole Hire Stockman and Stolte won All-WCC Honorable Mention. In addition Cole and Stockman were named to the all-freshman squad.
Although Pepperdine missed the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row Ward said his team was far better than the record indicates and may have reached the postseason if it had capitalized during two or three key moments.
To illustrate how close his team may have been he pointed out that Cal received a tournament bid with a 10-8-1 record just one game better than Pepperdine.
The Waves also played well against some of the nation’s best women’s soccer programs. They defeated Tennessee and Washington State which both made it to the NCAA tourney. They kept it close against No.-2 UCLA No.-3 Portland and No.-17 San Diego. Ward said he admired his team’s level of consistency in the midst of such a difficult schedule.
Another issue that kept Pepperdine from its full potential was the injury bug which hit the team early in the season and never let up.
“So many of the weeks we had significant players not practicing or … not playing 100 percent Ward said. I’ve never experienced anything quite like that.”
However Ward said the future looks bright and he is ecstatic about where his team is now compared to where it was at the end of last season when the Waves finished 5-8-6 overall and 3-4 in conference play.
“If you look at our season as a whole I think it can be considered a success from where we were a year ago he said. This team made great great strides in bringing Pepperdine soccer back to the right energy the right attitude and the right perspective.”
Ward said the team’s objective for 2009 will be to expand on what it accomplished this season. If that happens Pepperdine can make a serious run for the NCAA Tournament.
“The goal is to win more games to eliminate mistakes to continue to grow as a team and as individuals Ward said. This group has really grown as women and I expect more growth in the future.”