Junior defender and forward Emjae Soriano (No. 25, left) and freshman defender Erin Ha (No. 3, right) close in on a University of San Fransisco opponent Oct. 10 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. The two helped fuel Pepperdine defense. Photos by Guinevere Hesse
Pepperdine Women’s Soccer returned to Tari Frahm Rokus Field for their second West Coast Conference (WCC) home game Oct. 10, facing the University of San Francisco during Waves Weekend. With parents and fans in attendance to support the Waves, the team continued their undefeated conference streak with a 5-0 victory against the Dons, putting them at 4-0 in WCC play and 8-3-2 overall.
Coming off of a demanding stretch of three games in eight days, including a 3-2 victory at the University of Denver, Pepperdine returned to Malibu for home field advantage. After days of travel, hard training and celebratory team ice cream runs, the Waves welcomed the chance to settle back into their routines, said Tim Ward, Women’s Soccer head coach.
“It’s nice to just be back in their own beds,” Ward said. “You can tell bodies are tired, and a few of our girls have battled with sickness the last couple of weeks and midterms, so it was really nice to get back home.”
Nonetheless, the Waves turned their tiredness into triumph.
In the beginning of the first half, the Waves moved their feet quickly to defend the ball. Fifth-year midfielder Krya Murphy made a cross pass to freshman forward Layla Simon but was deflected by the defender.
Ariana Salvador, junior midfielder and forward, shot a goal attempt from 30-feet out, but the Dons sophomore goalkeeper Tyra Bengtsson-Stenseth defended with a save.
In the 18th minute, Murphy and senior forward Julia Quinonez assisted Simon on the first goal of the match, marking the first goal of Simon’s season. Just a minute earlier, Simon drew a foul before successfully finding the back of the net.
The Waves finished the first half leading 1-0 against the Dons.
Pepperdine opened the second half with defensive play before Murphy found Quinonez for her 10th goal of the season in the 52nd minute to secure a 2-0 lead.
Murphy recorded two assists, becoming the first Wave to do so since her own two-assist performance Oct. 4, 2025. She leads the Waves with six assists this season, ranking second in the conference, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“Obviously you love to score,” Murphy said. “But being a person who can assist and make a play happen, you’re going to celebrate that too.”
Murphy emphasized the chemistry the team has on and off the field and how each Wave works to shine a light on one another. She said building the confidence and trust in every play is what pushes the team forward.
“So, I get the ball and even if I don’t see it, I just know someone’s going to be in the box,” Murphy said. “We have such hardworking girls in that front line who want to score and are goal hungry.”
In the 57th minute, Simon rushed across the field to make her way towards the net, but the possessive defenders turned the ball back to their team.
During a back-and-forth possession exchange between the teams, junior forward Chloe Brown delivered a technical pass to Quinonez, who attempted a goal in the 57th minute but sent the ball just over the net.
Junior forward Chloe Brown (right) finds an opening to her teammates to deliver a pass to push the ball forward. The Waves continued to create offensive opportunities downfield.
Just after the missed goal attempt by the Waves, sophomore defender Ariana Markey assisted Quinonez in another successful goal in the 64th minute, bringing the score to 3-0.
Quinonez now leads the WCC with 25 total points, ranking sixth all-time in Pepperdine history, according to Pepperdine Athletics. She is also tied at 11 goals in WCC rankings with Kennedy Schoennauer, Santa Clara University senior forward, according to WCC sports.
“Scoring two goals is an amazing feeling,” Quinonez said. “But at the same time, I feel like my teammates have played a big role in why I score so many goals.”
Ward said Quinonez’s success is a reflection of the collective effort and support of her teammates.
“She’s been on fire,” Ward said. “But she can’t do that without the girls like Kyra Murphy and Peyton Leonard, her other senior sisters doing the job in the back and defending.”
Sophomore defender Ariana Markey maintains possession of the ball while looking for an opportunity to advance an attack against the Dons. Her assist set up a striking goal for Pepperdine in the 64th minute.
Ward said he also recognizes the team’s “unsung heroes” in midfield that do the hard yards and ultimately push the team toward victory.
The Waves’ freshmen were hungry for more, as freshman midfielder Sahaana Potti and freshman forward Sam Hosford assisted each other in scoring back-to-back points.
Kyra Murphy (left) maneuvers around a San Francisco opponent as freshman midfielder Sahaana Potti (right) positions herself for a pass. The Waves worked midfield-magic to create offensive opportunities that led to forthcoming goals.
Hosford scored a goal assisted by Potti in the 83rd minute before Hosford and freshman forward Kate Ryan assisted Potti in scoring her first collegiate goal in the 84th minute.
“It’s indescribable,” Potti said. “I scored my goal but right when I scored, I looked back and I was so happy that Sam [Hosford] rewarded me.”
Potti said she hopes this goal will be the first of many.
“It breaks the barrier and a lot can start arriving, and I can help my team a lot more,” Potti said.
Ward said he was proud of the girls for their “unselfish play” and team bond on and off the field.
“I love that because when we’re great, it’s because we’re a great team,” Ward said. “As much as we love to celebrate individual accomplishment, what we love even more is to celebrate team achievement.”
In the last two minutes of the match, the Dons ran tirelessly to try and score, but the Waves held firm to seal a 5-0 shutout. The Waves last scored this many goals Oct. 4, 2025 against University of the Pacific with a 9-0 shutout according to Pepperdine Athletics.
The Waves look to defend their home turf once again Oct. 17, where they will face the Loyola Marymount University Lions for their fifth WCC matchup. This game will also feature an alumni reunion celebrating the 15th anniversary of the 2011 WCC champions.
This story was copy edited by Olivia Schlossin.
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Contact Dalainey Moore via email: dalainey.moore@pepperdine.edu
