The 佩珀代因大学 women’s 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 具有历史意义的活动 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’s 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’s 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’s defense, but the Bruins managed to clear the attack and quickly countered with a scoring effort of their own. Despite the Waves’ 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.

“I 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."

佩珀代因在对阵加州大学洛杉矶分校的比赛中总共射门8次（其中5次射正球门）。 The Waves ended their season with an overall record of 11-7-2.

卓越的独特文化

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

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

海浪队在2025年获得了他们连续第二个WCC冠军

“我真的为我们的卓越传统感到自豪，”他说。 “We 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.”

The Waves will graduate six impactful seniors this season, but the future is still bright for the women’s 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’s soccer program can continue to build off the momentum and lessons learned throughout the last three months.

沃德说：“我们为我们所有的运动员感到骄傲。 “他们正在进行中。 They’re learning how to be resilient and overcome adversity, which is a part of life. When we recruit athletes, we tell them, ‘If you want easy, do not come to Pepperdine because this is a transformational opportunity.’”