MALIBU, Calif. – The Washington State Cougar soccer team (4-4-3) lost, 3-2, to the No. 13 Pepperdine Waves, Wednesday afternoon at Tari Frahm Rokus Field in Malibu, California. The Waves scored early in the match before WSU's Megan Santa Cruz and Grayson Lynch found the net to give the Cougars a 2-1 halftime lead. Nationally-ranked Pepperdine rallied back with a pair of second-half goals after a red card to WSU's Peyton Price saw the Cougs down a player for the final 40 minutes.
 
There were fireworks from the opening whistle, as Reese Tappan and Nadia Cooper were called upon early for a pair of saves. The Cougars found their footing and got on the attack with Jenna Studer delivering a header on frame off a corner kick. The Waves found the net in the ninth minute and took an early lead when a deflected clearance found the feet of Pepperdine's Tori Waldeck and the easy finish.
 
WSU responded less than five minutes later when sophomore Megan Santa Cruz scored her first goal of the season and equalized the match. The Burbank, California native pounced on a loose ball at the top of the penalty area, taking the shot off the half-volley. Santa Cruz's shot deflected off a Pepperdine defender and in for the tie and her second career goal.
 
The match opened up after the equalizer, as each side adjusted to the offensive action. In the 20th minute, Reagan Kotschau served in a corner kick, eyeing the Olimpico, with a curling shot from the flag that rattled the crossbar.
 
In the 25th minute, redshirt-senior Grayson Lynch gave the Cougars the 2-1 lead with her 18th career goal. The Cougs pressured the Pepperdine backline with Kendall Campbell forcing an errant pass. Santa Cruz jumped the passing lane and forced the ball back into the Waves' box. Lynch stuck with the ball, tracking a pair of deflections through the defense and splitting the center backs to finish into the top netting.
 
For the fourth time this season the Cougars entered halftime with the lead, after outshooting Pepperdine in the first half and putting four of five shot attempts on target.
 
Pepperdine returned from the break looking to equalize immediately – rattling the woodwork less than 30 seconds into the half. The Cougars collected themselves, but found most of the play in their defensive third, when Peyton Price dove in for a challenge at the right edge of the box. The challenge earned her a yellow card, her second of the match after a similar foul in the first half. The booking saw the junior sent off for the first time in her career and the Cougars playing down a defender for the final 40 minutes.
 
Moments later the No. 13 Waves found the back of the net on a corner kick, only for the shot to be waved offside and allow WSU to maintain the 2-1 advantage. In the 56th minute, a Pepperdine player went down on a challenge in the penalty area and the official awarded a penalty kick. Pepperdine converted the penalty, the first allowed by Nadia Cooper this season and leveled the game 2-2.
 
Nationally-ranked Pepperdine scored the game-winner in the 62nd minute. The Cougar defense handled an initial cross to the near post, but the rebound found the feet of Tatum Wynalda and the net before Cooper and the Cougar defense could recover.
 
The match was WSU's third against a top-15 team this season and the first time scoring multiple goals against a top-15 team since Nov. 22, 2019 against No. 3 Virginia. The Cougars will remain in Los Angeles to face Loyola Marymount, Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. PT from Sullivan Field. The match will stream live on ESPN+.
 
Match Notes

• Megan Santa Cruz scored her first goal of the season and second career goal
• Grayson Lynch scored her 18th career goal and first goal of the season
• Lynch now has four points this season with a pair of assists in nonconference play
• Grayson Lynch played in her 89th career match, fourth in Coug history, moving within three games of former teammate Mykiaa Minniss (92), at third in WSU history
• Lindsey Turner started her 40th career match at WSU
• Reagan Kotschau started her 30th career match at WSU
• Julianna Duckett played in her 80th career match (11 at WSU) and against her former school
• Reese Tappan played in her 70th career match
• Naomi Clark, Kotschau, Rajanah Reed, and Megan Santa Cruz each played their 30th game
• Peyton Price picked up her first red card offense of the season, earning two yellow cards and will serve a one-game suspension during the next match at LMU
• Jamuna Williams made her college debut, entering the game in the 44th minute
• All-time against nationally-ranked opponents, the WSU program is 45-124-32 and 0-2-1 this season against ranked opponents
• The Cougars lost for the first time this season when leading at halftime (3-1)
• Georgia Whitehead played a season-high 41 minutes