Women’s Soccer: Waves Drop 3-1 Decision to No. 7 Portland in WCC Battle
Kristin DeGrandmont Scores First Goal of the Year on a Penalty Kick

October 13, 2013

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MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine generated plenty of quality chances, but could not find the back of the net, dropping a tough 3-1 decision to No. 7 Portland Sunday afternoon at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. The Waves (6-4-2, 1-1-0 WCC) played one of their best halves of the season in the opening 45 minutes, but the Pilots (11-1-1, 3-0-0 WCC) capitalized on their opportunities in the second half, scoring three times.

“It’s hard to believe the scoreboard honestly,” Pepperdine head coach Tim Ward said. “Soccer can be a cruel game in the way it unfolds. I thought we played excellent today. We outshot them by a pretty significant margin and we had possession of the ball. The problem is that we had some clear cut chances and we didn’t convert early on. We squandered some chances. In this game when you’re in the ascendency and you don’t get a goal, you are susceptible to getting one against you and that’s exactly what happened today. You can’t take any moral victories away when you’re playing Portland. They’re a good team, but you have to find a way to win.”

Pepperdine turned in perhaps its best half of soccer and generated nine shots and six corner kicks in the first half and limited Portland to just two shots and no corners.

Portland’s third shot of the match found the back of the net as Danica Evans recorded her second of the year off a feed from Micaela Capelle in the 49th minute. The Pilots were awarded a controversial penalty kick and Amanda Frisbie buried it for her sixth strike of the season in the 54th minute for a 2-0 lead.

Pepperdine drew a penalty kick in the 73rd minute to make it 2-1 Portland as Kristin DeGrandmont (Portland, Ore./Jesuit HS) converted for her first tally of the year. The Pilots answered 29 seconds later off the ensuing kickoff as Mikayla Elmer sent a through ball to Noelle LaPrevotte, who chipped over a diving Hannah Seabert (Riverside, Calif./Woodcrest Christian HS) for her first goal.

Pepperdine held an 18-7 shot edge, including a 10-5 advantage in shots on frame. The Pilots attempted one corner kick to eight for the Waves. All-American candidate Lynn Williams (Fresno, Calif./Bullard HS) fired a match-high five shots. Kristen Rodriguez (Inglewood, Calif./Notre Dame Academy) added four.

Seabert suffered the loss, collecting three saves. Erin Dees earned the win for the Pilots with nine saves, six coming in the first half.

After wrapping its six-match homestand, Pepperdine takes to the road for five of its next seven contests, starting Thursday, October 17 at Brigham Young. Match time against the Cougars is set for 6:00 p.m. (PT) in a match televised live nationally via BYUtv from Provo, Utah.