Pepperdine Women’s Soccer were held to a 1-1 draw against Arizona on Aug. 29, at Tari Frahm Rokus Field.
Women’s Soccer put in a positive performance as they move to 2-2-1 on the season.
Tori Waldeck, graduate student midfielder/forward, was happy with the improvement of the team coming off their previous match against USC.
“I think we just got better today,” Waldeck said. “That was our goal, coming off of a tough result on Sunday. We just wanted to get better and get back to playing Waves soccer.”
Pepperdine started the game on the front foot, maintaining a high press and dominating possession of the ball.
The breakthrough goal came from Tabitha LaParl, redshirt junior midfielder/forward, in her first goal since missing a season and a half due to injury.
The goal came off a free kick by midfield/forward Tatum Wynalda, which hit the cross bar, and was collected by sophomore forward Julia Quinonez who laid it off to LaParl for a powerful left-footed shot into the top left corner from just inside the box.
LaParl’s teammates were thrilled for her as it was LaParl’s first in-season game in nearly two years due to injury.
“I think that’s just huge for her to get a goal and get that confidence she needs,” Waldeck said. “I think we’re all just really proud of her for that one.”
Quinonez added more praise for LaParl and spoke of how enjoyable it is to have her back on the pitch.
“Her energy, she’s infectious,” Quinonez said. “She’s a really great player and I love playing with her.”
The first half dominance continued after the goal with Pepperdine staying aggressive and continuing to test the Arizona keeper. This led to the Waves outshooting Arizona six to one in the first half, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
This left Ward with a feeling that Pepperdine could’ve extended it’s lead.
“We had enough moments to be up by two or three goals on the half, and we just didn’t take that,” Ward said. “That’s maybe the biggest lesson.”
The second half was a different story as Arizona changed their system to press higher up the pitch, becoming a much more physical team. The change paid off in the 60th minute when Arizona stole the ball near the box and slotted it into the bottom left corner to level the score.
The Arizona charge continued as they outshot Pepperdine eight to two in the second half while retaining possession deep into Pepperdine’s side of the pitch.
Despite the pressure, Pepperdine’s defense managed to keep the ball out of their net, and they made a late push to find the winning goal. They came close but were unable to find the net for a second time.
Even with the disappointment of being held to a draw, Ward is happy with his team and the trajectory they are on.
“I’m really excited about the steps we took today,” Ward said. “I want to win really badly, but my focus is on the development of a squad. I think we’re only going to get better and better and better.”
The Waves bounced back in a big way at their next game on Sept. 1, against No. 3 UCLA winning 1-0.
Pepperdine will be on the road for their next game on Sept. 5, against Georgetown, at Shaw Field.
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Contact George Davis via email: george.davis2@pepperdine.edu
