Photos by Alysha Tsuji
No. 11 Pepperdine soccer entered the Sweet 16 match versus UCLA coming off a 4-0 Round 2 rout of Iliinois State. The No. 1 Bruins entered the match coming off a 7-0 sweep of Harvard. When the Waves and Bruins pitted against each other Sunday, Nov. 23, the result was gridlock.
Ultimately, in the 88th minute, UCLA’s Sam Mewis scored to give her team the 1-0 win on their home field at Drake Stadium. The Waves weren’t able to gain enough momentum to push hard enough for a last minute comeback.
All game, Pepperdine struggled to fight the Bruins’ undefeated defense. Seniors Lynn Williams (4) and Kristine Hilliard (2) were the only ones able to attempt shots on the goal. The Bruins had a combined 16 total shots.
Sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Seabert shut down the net with five saves. Seabert allowed just two scores through the team’s entire post-season run.
The Waves say goodbye to seniors Ally Holtz, Jackie Pedrazza, Nikki McKee, Micaela Cervantes, Amanda LeCave, Hilliard and Williams; but they hang onto the bulk of their talented roster.
Williams finished her collegiate career scattered across Pepperdine soccer’s record books, including first in game-winning goals (15). As a whole, the team also notched a slew of historic program achievements. Among them, the squad matched the record of 11 shutouts, and this marked Pepperdine’s third appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
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