SAN DIEGO — After a goal 45 seconds in, Las Toreras led top-of-the-table Pepperdine for 68 minutes, but late goals saw the Waves steal a 2-1 heartbreaker at Torero Stadium Friday night.
"Sometimes leading that long against one of the best teams in the country like Pepperdine is more of a curse than a blessing," USD Head Coach Greg LaPorte said. "I'm proud that we went toe-to-toe with them and were able to strike first. We played hard and executed our gameplan for 90 minutes, they did what good teams do and won a few moments that changed the game."
Junior forward Tamia Graham scored the opening goal just 45 seconds after kick-off, making it the fastest goal scored by the Toreros since the 2017 season, when Summer Mason scored a goal 16 seconds into a match against USC on September 17, 2017.
It also marked the first goal that was allowed in 288 total minutes by the WCC-leading Waves, who had 11 unanswered goals since Sept. 27 when it defeated Seattle U 3-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Inside the first minute of action, senior forward
Josefine Schlichting found Graham with a pass to the top of the 18-yard box, before she bridged her defender to set up an open shot in the box which she buried into the opposite side netting to give her team an early 1-0 lead.
A potential foul inside the box for San Diego nearly gave USD a chance to double their lead in the 38th minute, but after a VAR review, it was deemed not a foul and play was continued.
Stingy defense — including two saves from Chloe Walls — in the first half from the Torero back line kept the red-hot Waves off the scoresheet at the break, maintaining the 1-0 advantage for Las Toreras.
San Diego held firm through the first 20 minutes of the second period, but the Waves eventually equalized with a shot from inside the six yard box that snuck in at the near post, making it 1-1 in the 69th minute of play.
A long shot from Schlichting narrowly missed off the crossbar in the 70th minute, inches away from regaining the lead.
Pepperdine's relentless push broke through again, scoring the go-ahead goal in the 85th minute off a corner kick to give it a 2-1 lead it would not relinquish.
UP NEXT
The Toreros will be back in action on Wednesday evening when they continue their three-game homestand, hosting Saint Mary's at Torero Stadium. Kick-off against the Gaels on TikTok night is set for 7 p.m.
