Junior forward Julia Quinonez prepares to take a shot against the Oregon State Beavers’ goalkeeper Sept. 24 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. It marked the first of her six attempts in the match. Photos by Amanda Torres
Pepperdine Women’s Soccer kicked off the 2025 West Coast Conference season Sept. 24 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field with a matchup against the Oregon State Beavers. The Waves poured on the goals, beating Oregon State 6-0 and moving to 1-0 in West Coast Conference play.
Going into the game, the Waves had a two-week break in preparation for their conference opener. For Tim Ward, Pepperdine Women’s Soccer head coach, he said the focus was on changing the team’s perspective.
“We talked about the lessons we’ve learned and who we’ve become as a result of what we’ve endured,” Ward said. “We took a hike up to the cross that changed our perspective and challenged our team to think less about ourselves and more about each other.”
That shift carried Pepperdine into a performance that featured six different goal scorers.
“I love that stat line because that’s our team,” Ward said. “So many talented individuals, and when we play like that, we can compete with anybody in the country.”
Pepperdine opened the game out strong, pouring on the pressure and firing 15 shots in the first half. But, after 40 minutes, chance after chance went over the goal or into the hands of the Beavers’ goalkeeper. The Waves players leaned on their mentality to find a way to break through.
“We weren’t going to stop getting those chances — just having that drive to keep going really helped us,” junior forward Julia Quinonez said.
That breakthrough came in the 42nd minute during a chaotic sequence inside the 18-yard box. Grad student defender/forward Megan Edelman’s shot hit the crossbar, then junior defender Peyton Leonard’s follow-up hit the post and on the third attempt, Leonard got her rebound and buried her shot to put Pepperdine up 1-0. From there, the attack was unleashed.
After halftime, in the 46th minute, miscommunication between the Oregon State goalkeeper and central defender led to Pepperdine’s second goal of the game. Off the bounce, redshirt junior midfielder Kyra Murphy tapped the ball past the goalkeeper’s head to double the Waves‘ lead.
Sophomore midfielder/forward Ariana Salvador challenges the Oregon State Beavers’ right back for possession Sept. 24 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Her pressure on the ball was key in sparking Pepperdine’s counterattacks.
In the 60th minute, a handball inside Oregon State’s box went to review, with the referee quickly confirming the call. Sophomore midfielder Elle Quinn stepped up and buried the penalty into the bottom left corner.
Two minutes later, Edelman isolated the Beavers’ left back one-on-one, dribbled past her and drew a foul. Edelman earned the second penalty and, like Quinn, slotted it into the same spot.
Pepperdine didn’t take their foot off the pedal. In the 82nd minute, freshman midfielder Ariana Markey whipped in a corner, and Quinonez was able to connect, heading the ball into the bottom right of the goal. Even though her shots weren’t getting into the back of the net, Quinonez said she had to bury this chance.
“From the start, I ended up getting that corner because I took two shots, and they weren’t going through,” Quinonez said. “I need to get a touch on this at least. Markey played a great ball in the middle, and I just had a connection with it and put it right in.”
Three minutes later, the Waves put the final nail in the coffin. Sophomore defender Chloe Brown sent in a cross from the right side, and senior midfielder/forward Tatum Wynalda met it on the volley, driving the ball into the net to complete the 6–0 rout.
Pepperdine outshot Oregon State 32-3, dominated 10-1 on corner kicks and kept the clean sheet led by a strong Waves backline, sophomore goalkeeper Jillian Medvecky and the collegiate debut of freshman goalkeeper Kaia Tom, who preserved the shutout in the final 25 minutes.
“Everyone has been working hard,” Leonard said. “Defensively, we know that if you don’t give up goals, you can’t lose a game.”
The Waves improved to 4-4-1 overall and secured their first win in West Coast Conference play this season.
Next, Pepperdine Women’s Soccer return Oct. 4 to Tari Frahm Rokus Field to take on the University of the Pacific. The Waves look to secure their third conference win after a 3-2 road win over Seattle University.
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Contact Marcos Lizarraga by email: marcos.lizarraga@pepperdine.edu
