No. 20 Pepperdine Secures Dramatic 1-0 Double Overtime Win at Dartmouth
Amanda LeCave Tallies 10th Goal of the Season to Power Waves Past Big Green

DARTMOUTH FINAL BOX

HANOVER, N.H. – No. 20 Pepperdine completed its East Coast road trip in dramatic fashion with a 1-0 double overtime triumph at Dartmouth Monday afternoon at Burnham Field. Amanda LeCave recorded her 10th goal of the season in the 103rd minute to propel the Waves (9-3-0) to their third consecutive victory at the expense of a determined Big Green (6-4-0) squad.

LeCave (Windsor, Calif./Windsor HS) struck the ball left-footed from the top right corner of the 18-yard box on a bending shot that tucked into the upper 90 of the far post. The Pepperdine bench emptied and dogpiled LeCave in celebration.

It was a crazy finish,” Pepperdine head coach Tim Ward. “We had so many chances to score, but they were a really good team. Every time they had opportunities everyone just held their breath. It was one of those days we thought the ball might not go in for us. What I love is the entire team continued to grind, continued to battle and continued to believe.”

With her 10th goal in 12 matches, LeCave moved into some rarified air. The Pepperdine record for fastest to double-digits strikes is held by Kristi Bissonnette (1999-02), who registered 10 in 11 matches. LeCave matches 2012 Pepperdine Hall of Fame inductee Jennifer Evans (1993-96), who twice scored 10 goals in 12 matches in her distinguished career (1993 & 1995).

Anisa Guajardo (Clovis, Calif./Buchanan HS) picked up her team-leading eighth assist of the season on LeCave’s decisive tally

Pepperdine held a 24-18 shot advantage, including a 6-2 edge in the overtime sessions. Lynn Williams (Fresno, Calif./Bullard HS) fired a match-high nine shots, two on frame, while Michelle Pao (Cupertino, Calif./Monta Vista HS) added four attempts. Both teams recorded six shots on goal.

For the second straight match, Pepperdine’s defense was tested, but emerged with the team’s third consecutive shutout. Roxanne Barker (Irvine, Calif./Woodside HS) collected the win, making five saves in her fifth sheeting of the season.

“To win in overtime in our first overtime game of the year gives us confidence we can pull out a win,” Ward said. “We played great defense. It was a tight game and I am really pleased with the way we responded to the challenge. We feel we had two great wins against two great soccer teams this weekend.”

Pepperdine concludes its three-match road trip when it opens the 2012 West Coast Conference season Sunday, October 7 at San Francisco. Match time against the Dons is set for 1:00 PM at Negoesco Stadium.

NOTES: The win against Dartmouth is the first true road win of the season for Pepperdine … The Waves are 4-3-0 in road (1-3-0) and neutral site (3-0-0) contests in 2012 … Amanda LeCave has recorded a remarkable 10 goals on just 22 shots this season … The Waves carry a 295:73 scoreless streak into the 2012 WCC opener at San Francisco.