MACK CARROLL/Staff Photographer
TAYLOR BIRD
Sports Assistant
The Pepperdine women’s soccer team dropped the first match of conference play by a score of 1-0 to Loyola Marymount University Sunday at Tari Frahm Rokus Field in Malibu. This was the Waves’ first loss since Sept. 14.
LMU’s point game in the 13th minute of the match, when Lions’ midfielder Lacey Bartels smashed a controversial penalty kick toward the left side of the net that made it past Pepperdine goalkeeper Kayla Stolte.
“That was a lousy call by the ref,” said Waves’ sophomore midfielder Sophia Medina. “I don’t think they deserved that goal. If they didn’t get it, I think the game would have been a lot different right from the beginning.”
In the final minute of the match, Waves’ junior forward Emily Wynne was awarded a penalty kick, giving Pepperdine a last-minute chance to deliver the equalizing point. She shot the ball toward LMU goalkeeper Joslyn Slovek’s right, who reacted quickly to block it.
“That’s the only spot where a ball’s hit that hard that a keeper can get to it,” said Pepperdine Head Coach Tim Ward. “She read it, she guessed right, she made a great save.”
The Waves (3-5-5) out-shot their opponents 12-5 and Stolte saved five of LMU’s six shots on goal, but they were not able to overcome the early 1-0 deficit.
“It does sting a little because you want to start off on your home field in conference play against your rival with a win,” Ward said. “It was a tough one. Hats off to LMU; they played well today.”
But Ward said he was proud of the resiliency his players showed, even in the final seconds of the match.
“We created a chance in the last 30 seconds to give ourselves an opportunity to tie it up,” he said. “That’s saying something about the spirit within the squad.”
Conference play continues for the Waves on the road next weekend, when they play No.-5 Santa Clara Friday and No.-16 San Diego Sunday.
10-14-2007
