Noah Godwin
Assistant Sports Editor
Ben Young / Photo Editor
Senior Diana Sanguinetti looks to
continue the women’s soccer team’s
winning ways as senior Ali Pavoni
looks on against Iowa State
University Friday.
Junior goalkeeper Anna Picarelli has yet to give up a goal, and the Waves are already six games into the season.
Picarelli recorded her fifth and sixth shutouts this season behind a stifling Pepperdine defense last weekend in helping the Waves to a 1-0 victory Sunday over University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and a 3-0 victory Friday over Iowa State at Tari Frahm Rokus Field.
Pepperdine is now undefeated with a record of 5-0-1.
“We had a pretty good weekend, but we all know we’ve got to keep getting better if we want to get where we’re going,” sophomore forward Lindsey Redlin said.
Charlotte held Pepperdine scoreless until the 64th minute, when Redlin scored the game-winning goal.
Sophomore forward Jennifer Brewer began the play by advancing the ball down the right side before centering it to senior forward Ali Pavoni. Pavoni then passed to Redlin, who fired from the left side and snuck the ball inside the near post.
Pepperdine held an 8-0 advantage in shots through the first half, but Charlotte goalkeeper Shannon Huffman kept the Waves scoreless.
The Waves finished with a 19-3 edge in shots, including a 10-3 advantage in shots-on-goal.
“We all know that we have a chance to really do something special this year,” Redlin said.
Picarelli’s string of six consecutive shutouts is a Pepperdine record, and she also increased her school record for shutouts in a career to 21.
Pepperdine put forth one of its best performances on the year in its win over Iowa State on Friday.
Junior forward Megan Woods began the scoring after taking a pass from senior midfielder Jenna Ainsworth and beat an Iowa State defender in the ninth minute of the first half.
Picarelli recorded this shutout without ever facing a shot, as Pepperdine held a 15-0 lead in shots.
Woods, who had three points on the day, recorded an assist on sophomore forward Jennifer Brewer’s goal in the 13th minute.
Woods, with 43 points in her career, is now eighth on Pepperdine’s all-time list. She missed some playing time earlier in the season with an ankle injury, but she showed no signs of that injury last weekend.
Senior defender Ashley Swanson scored in the 63rd minute from 35 yards out to give the Waves its three-goal lead.
For Swanson, who has been an All-American and All-West Coast Conference performer in her Pepperdine career as a defender, it was her first collegiate goal.
Charlotte goalie Lauren Boyer was unable to keep pace with the onslaught she faced from Pepperdine.
Iowa State and Charlotte had never faced the Waves before last weekend’s contests.
The Waves will travel to Pullman, Wash., to play Washington State at 3 p.m. Friday.
Washington State is 3-1-1 on the season after beating University of New Mexico and Northern Colorado at the Loyola Marymount-Holiday Inn-LAX tournament last weekend.
Washington State and Pepperdine have only met once before, and the Waves recorded a 2-0 victory at Tari Frahm Rokus Field.
The team will go to Moscow, Idaho, to play University of Idaho at Sunday at 1 p.m.
Idaho has posted a 1-3-0 record on the year, and the meeting will be the first ever between the two programs.
“I’m looking forward to get to compete against these teams,” Redlin said. “They represent another step in what we hope will be a long and successful road.”
In their six matches this year, the Waves have outscored their opponents 9-0.
09-15-2004