TAYLOR BIRD
Staff Writer
The Pepperdine women’s soccer team looks to gear up for the 2007 season after a controversial conclusion to its 2006 campaign.
Despite winning the final game of a successful season over Gonzaga to finish third in the West Coast Conference (WCC), the Waves were disappointed to discover they were denied a bid to play in the NCAA postseason. Perhaps no one was more outspoken against this decision by NCAA officials than head coach Tim Ward, who felt his team’s level of play throughout the season warranted a playoff spot.
As he enters his 10th year as the head coach, Ward said he believes the controversy of last season will encourage his players to strive for success this season.
“I just think it’s an awesome motivational tool for our team going into the season,” Ward said. “I hope that there will be a competitive anger.”
Last season the team finished with a record of 4-2-1 in the WCC and an 11-6-3 record overall. Earlier this month, the WCC Women’s Soccer Poll picked Pepperdine to finish third in the conference behind Portland, last season’s runner-up team in the conference, and Santa Clara, the 2006 WCC title winner and No.-1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Ward’s philosophy, however, is to look past the rankings and take the season one game and one opponent at a time.
“Every single team we play has the ability to beat us,” said Ward, adding that the Waves’ toughest opponent is “always the next opponent in [his] mind.”
Junior defender Kelsey Baker holds a similar attitude to her coach’s when gauging the competition.
“We take every game equally no matter what the team is ranked,” Baker said. “Last year, we lost to some teams that we shouldn’t have, due to the fact that we didn’t take them as seriously as we should have.”
Beyond winning games, Ward’s aspirations for the season center around getting his team recognized on a national level.
“Our goal is to ultimately be an elite soccer program in the country,” he said. “My personal goal for our program is to always be considered as a top-10 program. Our girls are up to the challenge, and we have the talent.”
The Waves could reach Ward’s objective by posting victories against Santa Clara on Oct. 19 and Portland on Nov. 4, and maintaining a solid record versus those teams of a lower rank.
With a squad that returns eight starters and consists of only two seniors, Ward says he is confident that his veterans will step up to the plate in terms of leadership.
“The leadership in preseason has been fantastic,” he said. “The seniors we do have are wonderful leaders. The leadership on the team is very, very strong.”
The Waves will also add eight freshmen to their roster for the 2007 season, including forward Casey Bay out of Los Alamitos High School in Southern California. Ward is enthusiastic about his recruiting class, commenting that “each and every [freshman player] has something special to bring to the team.”
The Waves played a scrimmage at home versus Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday before heading to San Diego to take on Duke for the first game of the season Friday. The home opener will kick off Friday, Sept. 14, against UNLV.
08-27-2007
