Pepperdine Women’s Soccer put on an impressive show on home turf against the Fresno State Bulldogs, shutting them down with a score of 5-0 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. Their overall record moves to 5-2-2 after a successful road trip and opened a three-game home stand to round out non-conference play.
Sophomore defender Peyton Leonard expresses the momentum the team was pushing for coming into their game against the Bulldogs.
“We had a week off, and so our whole thing was, keep your foot on the pedal and keep going,” Leonard said. “Just knowing that we have to come here on our home field and protect it. So, we can have the motivation and energy leading into the conference.”
Pepperdine pushed a strong offensive front from the start, leading with consecutive shots, one after the other, within the first couple minutes of the game.
However, the Fresno State Bulldogs didn’t make it easy, applying strong pressure, often physically, leading to rough plays and fouls.
It was sophomore midfielder Kyra Murphy that broke through their defense with a goal, electrifying their momentum in the first half. The breakthrough goal came via an assist from sophomore midfielder Ava Verplancke in the 38th minute.
Yet, it was junior defender Erin Zeile‘s goal a minute before half-time, that solidified the tone for the rest of the game.
A shot from junior midfielder/forward Tabitha LaParl was saved by the Bulldogs goalie before quickly being rebounded back by the Waves, leading to Zeile’s quick shot into the net.
“I wouldn’t have been able to score that goal without my other teammate Tabby who shot it, so it’s just really a team thing, no one person can take credit for it,” Zeile said. “Shout out to the team for bringing the energy every day in and day out.”
The team’s chemistry was the key that led to the team’s success within the first-half, finishing 2-0 up over the Bulldogs, with five shots to Fresno’s two.
The second half was no different. The Waves kept up their energy from the start of the match with a corner kick in the 57th minute leading to an impressive head-shot goal by Leonard, assisted by graduate student midfielder and forward Tori Waldeck.
Leonard links the team chemistry, and overall trust in one another, to their success against Fresno’s high defensive pressure.
“I think we all just were moving and passing it really well and trusting each other that we were going to keep the ball,” Leonard said. “Then, finding the open lanes on the weak side is something that we had talked about.”
With 20 minutes on the clock, the Waves continued to showcase their strong, well-rounded, team with two more goals made by sophomore forward Julia Quinonez and senior midfielder Caroline Coleman.
With multiple interceptions, and strong defensive pressure by Pepperdine in the second half, Fresno was shut down, attempting zero shots compared to the six shots by Pepperdine, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Overall, the match ended in favor of the Waves, showcasing their versatility with a total of 11 shots in contrast to Fresno’s total shots of two. It was a tough fought match dealing with a total of 10 fouls from Fresno and six from Pepperdine, even one leading to a yellow card by Leonard in the 44th minute.
Head Coach Tim Ward boasts about the team’s performance and their resilience.
“What I’m really proud with our performance today is that we were able to win the ball, keep the ball, move the ball,” Ward said. “I think what you saw in the second half, the reason the floodgates opened up, is that a really athletic team got a little bit tired based on our ball movement.”
Despite the excitement of another win under his belt, Ward gives all the credit to the team.
“It’s a remarkable group of women and they come in the long line of amazing women that put the uniform on, but this team is no different,” Ward said. “The girls are tough. We have this edge and we want to show people that even though we go to this iconic, beautiful school, they work for it. They work really, really hard for it.”
Pepperdine Women’s Soccer celebrated their seniors from their match-up against Cornell on Sept. 22 at Tari Frahm Rokus Field, continuing their streak with a winning score of 3-0.
_________________________________
Follow the Graphic on X: @PeppGraphic
Contact Christine Park by email: christine.park@pepperdine.edu
