In a tense autumn afternoon clash between the Oregon State Beavers and the Pepperdine University Waves, two teams tied for second in the West Coast Conference, the game, was a feisty, spirited affair at Paul Lorenz.
The game would end level, with one goal in each half leading to a 1-1 draw. Both the Beavers and Pepperdine moved into a three-way tie for first, alongside Santa Clara.
The Beavers were on the front foot in the first half, with both teams exchanging great chances in a fast-paced first half.
Beavers midfielders Carly Carraher and Katie Godden had great chances in the first half, with Carraher heading a cross over the bar 10 minutes in, followed by Godden firing wide in the 16th minute.
With ten minutes left in the half, intricate passing from the Beavers around the Waves’ defense would open up space for fifth-year midfielder Valerie Tobias. Tobias curled the ball into the bottom corner, tallying her third goal of the season, a new personal best in her five years at OSU.
“This year we’ve asked her a lot to go forward more,” first-year head coach Caroline Kelly said about Tobias post-game. “She’s a kid who battles and gets griddy, that doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet, but this year it has, and it shows how much confidence she’s playing with.”
The Beavers would go into the break on top, but found themselves under pressure for much of the second half, giving away a handful of good chances to Pepperdine before Beavers freshman defender Hayden Wilson committed a foul in the penalty area, resulting in a Waves penalty.
Waves forward Tori Waldeck would beat Beavers ‘keeper Mya Sanchez from the penalty spot, leveling the game at 1-1 with half an hour to play.
Following the equalizer, both sides pushed for a winner, resulting in a thrilling, end-to-end final 30 minutes of the match, with fouls, great saves, and a last-minute shot off the crossbar from Pepperdine.
Despite a plethora of opportunities for both sides, neither scored the winner, and the match ended 1-1. A fitting result considering how close these two teams are in the conference standings.
With the draw, the Beavers climb to first in the WCC, tied on 14 points with Pepperdine and Santa Clara, although the latter play Gonzaga tomorrow, and have a chance to pull away into the conference lead.
The Beavers will host Santa Clara next Saturday.
When asked, Kelly describes this match as “If we are matched up one on one against them, that is the game.” In reference to the importance of this match potentially deciding the conference.
Looking ahead to next weekend’s top-of-the-table clash against Santa Clara, Kelly said “We have a whole week to prepare for it, I’m excited for it, and having them here is great.”
Kelly explained ahead of next week that the Beavers need to, “continue to play our game, I think we have to check into it a little bit more.” Referencing the Beavers’ more defensive posture in the second half.
Next weekend will be a conference-deciding matchup between the two top teams. This match against Santa Clara will kick off at noon on Saturday at Paul Lorenz Field.