Nov. 5, 2015 2015 Schedule | Give to LMU Athletics | LMU on Facebook |
LOS ANGELES - The 2015 regular-season comes to a close Saturday at 7 p.m. on Sullivan Field as the LMU women's soccer team hosts Wells Fargo PCH Cup rival Pepperdine while seeking to make history on a number of fronts.
The Lions enter the match at 12-5-1 overall and 6-2-0 in West Coast Conference play. A setback at BYU last week dropped LMU into third place in the WCC standings with 18 points. They trail leader San Francisco (21 points) and BYU (19 points) as all three squads hit the pitch one final time.
The league champion will receive an automatic bid into the 2015 NCAA Tournament. However, LMU also enters this week ranked No. 38 in the latest NCAA RPI. The NCAA RPI is a determining factor in selecting at-large bids into the 64-team NCAA Tournament. The Lions last postseason appearance was in 2006.
A win away from matching the all-time program record for single-season victories, the Lions are also seeking perfection at Sullivan Field for just the second time in program history. LMU's nine-member senior class will also be honored a brief ceremony prior to kick off.
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LMU vs Pepperdine - Saturday, Nov. 7 @ 7:00 p.m. - Sullivan Field
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LION NOTES
With one home match remaining, the Lions are a perfect 9-0-0 this season at Sullivan Field. The most home win recorded in a single season at Sullivan Field is 10, coming in 2007 when LMU went 10-1-0. The Lions also went unbeaten at home in 1998 at 6-0-4.
Jocelyn Blankenship leads LMU and the WCC with 18 points on seven goals and four assists. Her seven goals ties for the league leader.
Jocelyn Blankenship collected her 18th career assist ion Morgan Hilby's game-winner against Portland on Oct. 23. She is now tied for the all-time LMU record of 18, also held by Julie Gallaudet (2007-10).
With their 1-0 shutout of San Diego last week, the Lions hit the 12-win mark for the first time since 2000 and for just the fifth time in program history. In the 23-year history of the program, the Lions have hit 10 wins or more 11 times. The most wins in a single-season came in 1999 when LMU went 13-6-0.
Fourteen different Lions have scored at least once this season and 12 players have contributed at least one assist.
LMU made history on Friday, Oct. 23, as a 1-0 victory over Portland gave the Lions their first ever win in the 23-year all-time series. The game-winning goal by Morgan Hilby also snapped a nearly 14 year drought of goals scored against the Pilots.
LMU's 1-0 OT victory over then No. 21 Long Beach State marked the first win against a ranked opponent since a 3-0 shutout of then No. 15 Pepperdine on Oct. 15, 2012.
The Lions went unbeaten for seven straight matches between Aug. 28 (a 3-0 shutout of Bucknell) and Sept. 20 (a 2-2 double overtime draw at Utah.
The Lions six-match win streak marking the longest win streak for the program since 2007. That season, they won nine straight matches and went on to finish the year 12-6-1.
Sophomore defender Jill Farley was named WCC Player of the Week on Sept. 14 after playing all 187 minutes in a pair of LMU shutouts. She also scored the overtime game-winner against then No. 21/23 Long Beach State.
The Lions are 2-0-1 in overtime matches this season. That mark extends their streak of remaining unbeaten in overtime to nine matches (spanning two-plus seasons). Their last overtime setback was a 1-0 final against then No. 4 BYU on Nov. 1, 2012.
LMU has scored five goals in a match twice this season (Oct. 25 vs Gonzaga, Sept. 4 vs Detroit), marking the highest scoring output for LMU since 2007 when they shutout Lamar University, 9-0.
The home-opening win over Bucknell (Aug. 28) gave the Lions three straight home-opening victories as they also topped Northwestern, 1-0, in 2013 and New Mexico State, 3-1, in 2014.
Senior midfielder Jocelyn Blankenship was named to the 2015 All-WCC Preseason Team.
LMU was picked seventh in the West Coast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Lions went 9-8-2 overall and 2-6-1 in WCC play last season with a young squad that featured just three seniors.
Seniors Morgan Hilby (5g, 6a), Shannon Kent (6g) and Jocelyn Blankenship (6a) return to the pitch after leading LMU in points, goals and assists last fall.
Ten total starters return and 15 total letterwinners while the Lions also welcome nine newcomers and four redshirts.
SERIES HISTORY VS PEPPERDINE
The Lions are 6-12-5 all-time against their Wells Fargo PCH Cup rival Waves. Pepperdine has won the last two meetings, but LMU's most recent win was a big one - a 3-0 shutout of the then-No. 15th ranked Waves in Malibu in 2012.
ABOUT THE WAVES
Pepperdine enters the final match of the regular season with an 8-8-2 overall record and 3-5-0 WCC mark. The Waves have played seven matches into overtime this season, going 3-2-2 in extra time. The squad also has eight shutouts on the year as all eight victories have been by way of a shutout. Hannah Seabert has recorded all eight of those clean sheets in goal while also making 58 saves and posting a 0.94 GAA. Bri Visalia has four goals to lead Pepperdine.
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