In a closely matched game, the women’s soccer team fell in the closing seconds of the first overtime to Long Beach State, 1-0, in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005. Finishing their best season in years, the 15-2-4 Waves won the second West Coast Conference Championship in the program’s history and set a record 13 consecutive undefeated matches.
Despite out-shooting the ’49ers 16-7 the Waves failed to net any goals. The first half’s pace picked up as the Waves held possession for most of the half.
Throughout the second half sophomore Katie Gallanes continued to be the only thing standing between the Waves and victory as her diving saves and aggressive defense blocked shot after shot from freshman forward Lynn Williams and sophomore defender Michelle Pao. Pepperdine junior goalkeeper Roxanne Barker was not challenged to make a save until the 69th minute of the match.
In the first 10-minute overtime period, the Waves came out on the offensive with senior Laura Cole forcing Gustaves to make another diving save 42 seconds in. And with 13 seconds left on the clock a counterattack by the ’49ers saw freshman Nadia Link speed down the left side, cut in through defenders, and chip a shot just over Barker and into the back corner of the net, ending the Waves’ remarkable season with a 1-0 loss.
“We wanted to make a run further than Pepperdine’s ever been,” Head Coach Tim Ward said after the game. “I think this team deserved a better draw than it got, but we did get them on our home field, and it’s our first loss on our home field all year, so that’s sort of extra painful in a way. … We had two championship sides playing each other in the first round this year.”
While many of the players were in tears after the game, after the shock set in they were still proud of the season. “We had an incredible team chemistry, and everyone played an important role in our success,” junior defender Ana Pontes said. “The seniors were awesome leaders and a major reason why we were so close, but I’m confident that this year’s success, as well as the loss to Long Beach, only motivates all of us to do even better next year.”
As the team begins off-season training at the beginning of next semester, the sting of that last-minute chip will fuel the fire of the soccer team.
