黑料爆料

The 黑料爆料 women鈥檚 soccer team competed in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, November 11, 2025, losing to the fourth-seeded UCLA Bruins (1-3). 

With the loss, the Waves concluded a historic campaign in which they overcame a losing midseason record to earn their sixth West Coast Conference (WCC) Championship (second straight) and 15th NCAA tournament appearance (third straight). 

Pepperdine鈥檚 distinct spirit of resilience was on full display during its battle with UCLA. 

Rain showers prior to and during the match soaked the field and slowed the playing surface dramatically. Sturdy footing was impossible to find during the 90-minute contest, but after giving up two goals in the second and 30^th minutes, Pepperdine dug in and controlled possession of the ball for much of the second half. 

In the 88^th minute, the Waves finally broke through UCLA鈥檚 nationally ranked defense to draw the match within one, as Tabitha LaParl netted an unassisted goal. With fewer than two minutes to go in the game, Pepperdine pushed forward an all-out attack and pulled its goalie out of the box in an attempt to tie the action. 

Using this strategy, the Waves advanced the ball deep into the heart of UCLA鈥檚 defense, but the Bruins managed to clear the attack and quickly countered with a scoring effort of their own. Despite the Waves鈥� effort to rush back and protect their goal, the Bruins capitalized on the opportunity and achieved a game-clinching score in the 89^th minute to make the contest 1-3.

鈥淚 thought the girls played really hard, especially in the second half," said head coach Tim Ward. "We had to be adaptive with our style as the field didn't really allow either team to get into a normal rhythm."

Pepperdine took a total of eight shots (five of them on goal) against UCLA. The Waves ended their season with an overall record of 11-7-2. 

A Distinct Culture of Excellence

Throughout the process of turning the 2025 season around, the women鈥檚 soccer team secured a host of . In total, Pepperdine鈥檚 roster celebrated seven All-WCC soccer athletes, including four who were named to the conference鈥檚 first team. 

Looking back on the season, Ward was more proud of his team鈥檚 distinct culture than its success on the soccer field.

The Waves secured their second straight WCC title in 2025

鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of our tradition of excellence,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e believe that each athlete on our team is called to have a greater purpose. Winning is obviously the point of soccer, but it's not our purpose. We use this game as a vehicle to develop Waves of character.鈥�

The Waves will graduate six impactful seniors this season, but the future is still bright for the women鈥檚 soccer team. Next year, 23 women from the 2025 campaign will return, an experienced core that will keep the program positioned for steady growth. With so many athletes coming back to Malibu, the women鈥檚 soccer program can continue to build off the momentum and lessons learned throughout the last three months.

鈥淲e're proud of all our athletes,鈥� says Ward. 鈥淭hey're in process. They鈥檙e learning how to be resilient and overcome adversity, which is a part of life. When we recruit athletes, we tell them, 鈥業f you want easy, do not come to Pepperdine because this is a transformational opportunity.鈥欌��