Photo Gallery: Women's Soccer Falls In First Round of NCAA Tournament

The Pepperdine Waves and University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears lined up as they await the start of the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 16 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. The Waves came into this affair as the West Coast Conference Champions. Photos by Colton Rubsamen

The Pepperdine Women’s Soccer season comes to a crushing end.

The Waves lost the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears 1-2 Nov. 16 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. The Bears secured the match in double overtime, finding the back of the net in the 105th minute.

The Bears’ energy was high in the first half, and pressure stayed on the Waves’ goal. Cal attempted six shots in the first half, and freshman goalie Jillian Medvecky saved one before the Bears struck first with a goal in minute 32.

At the conclusion of the first half, Pepperdine attempted two shots to the Bears’ six and had only one corner to Cal’s three. However, the Waves woke up in the second half.

On both ends of the field, the Waves’ system clicked. The defenders kept attackers away from the goal while the attackers found ways to slip past the Cal defenders. In the 14th minute of the second half, Pepperdine broke the tie with a header goal from sophomore defender Peyton Leonard.

Coming from a corner kick, redshirt junior midfielder/forward Tabitha LaParl assisted the game-tying goal. The match would enter a stalemate from here, forcing overtime.

The first 10 overtime minutes would be an evenly fought battle between the Waves and the Bears, with Pepperdine being the only team to attempt a shot on goal, but the second overtime was non-stop action.

The ball ended up in both teams’ possession, with neither being able to maintain a hold, but after trading fouls, the Bears found an opening. In the fourth minute, senior defender Courtney Boone dished a corner kick past a diving Medvecky to end the Waves’ championship season.

The Waves ended the 2024 season with a 12-4-5 overall record and a 6-1-3 conference record.

Graduate midfielder/forward Tori Waldeck led the Waves in shots with four, three being on goal, followed by junior midfielder/forward Tatum Wynalda with two, one on goal.

The Bears’ intensity proved too much for the Waves, with the Bears taking 15 shots to the Waves’ 10 and kicking eight corners to the Waves’ three, all according to Pepperdine Athletics.

Though the season has come to its gut-wrenching end, the Waves still claimed their fifth WCC title in program history and will be back next fall to defend their title.