The Pepperdine women’s soccer team couldn’t quite pull out back-to-back victories on the road this weekend but the team did prove themselves to be a force to be reckoned with.
They dropped a 1-0 contest to Arizona State on Friday before winning 1-0 on Sunday against Utah.
The Waves (6-4) started their weekend at Arizona State (7-1-2) with a tough 1-0 loss against the Sun Devils. Arizona’s Jill Shoquist’s first shot of the season ended up being the only goal of the game leading the Waves to their first shutout since Oct. 24 of the 2008 season.
Before their match against the Sun Devils the Waves carried a streak of 10 games scoring at least one or more goals. Sophomore midfielder Laura Cole led the Waves with two shots but was unable to connect with either of them. Freshman goalkeeper Roxanne Barker had three saves in the first half but it was not enough to carry the Waves to victory.
However Barker was the star of the show on Sunday when the Waves traveled to Utah to take on the Utes. This game also resulted in a 1-0 score but this time it was in favor of the Waves. Barker made five impressive saves throughout the game including a diving stop on Utah’s Kelly Isleib’s free kick to the upper right hand corner of the net.
Head Coach Tim Ward said he was encouraged by his team’s performance especially with to the conditions the Waves played in.
“It’s never easy to win at altitude but we showed a lot of guts throughout the match Ward said. Utah received multiple free kick opportunities in dangerous areas but our team wouldn’t concede even though its legs were turning to jelly late in the second half.”
The highlight of the Waves’ victory over the Utes was freshman Callie Payetta’s goal in the 28th minute of the first half. This was Payetta’s third goal in four games demonstrating her strong impact on the Waves’ lineup. She connected with Sophomore Michelle Spacciapolli pass down the right flank and headed back across the net for the Waves’ only goal.
The assist from Spacciapolli was her first of the season and increased her total points to a team-leading seven.
The upperclassman are appreciative of the freshman’s performance in this early part of the season said junior defender Cammie Burke.
“They all bring really positive energy to our team…and have a great work ethic Burke said. I am so glad to have them.”
Both Barber’s and Payetta’s performances during the weekend was a demonstration of why the Waves have improved since last year’s season improving their record to 6-3 after the win over Utah.
The Waves’ next match is a tough bid against No. 4-ranked UCLA at home Friday at 3 p.m.
