Pepperdine tied ASU tonight. Pepperdine was the better team...maintaining possession for the majority of the game and outshooting them 17-10. Pepperdine got a little homered from the referee in the first half. They should have had two P.K.'s and the ref ignored both. The ASU keeper was good and Pepperdine had several near misses. I was impressed with Pepperdine tonight. They play really attractive soccer.
I have to disagree with you when saying Pepperdine was the better team. I think they were pretty much equal. Pepperdine may have out shoot ASU but ASU had the only shot on goal in overtime, and it may have seemed like Pepperdine had possession of the ball for most of the game but I think that is only because they did in the second half. ASU controlled the ball for most of the first half. Also I did not see any plays that should have given Pepperdine a PK. I don't think the coach did either usually you would argue all night if you thought a PK should have been given to you but the Pepperdine coach did not argue for any such call. I would have to agree that Kelly Fitzgerald the ASU goalkeeper did save her team a couple of times. I think she has the tools to become one of the nations best goalkeepers as she will get better as the season progresses. I wouldn't mind seeing these two teams meet each other in November during the college cup. I think both teams will make to the post season as long as both teams don't have any big time players have an injury that sidelines them for a long period of time. Also with these early season games there are teams that are going to be shorthanded as was the case for ASU. Two players for ASU were in Canada playing on the U-19 national team that just won the U-19 national championship.
Pepperdine dominated the possession and outshot them 17-10. I was at the North end of the field and had to look to the other end of the field the entire first half just to see the game (Pepperdine's attacking end). The Pepp coach very much thought they should have had a couple of P.K.'s but he is too classy to yell. The ref called back Pepperdine's goal when the ASU player took out both the Pepperdine forward and the ASU goalkeeper. That was unbelievable. Even the ASU contingent laughed about that one. You thought ASU dominated the first half???? Pepperdine outshot them 10-3 in the first half. Are you a biased parent? I am not a fan of either team. I was just there watching and I could not beleive some of the calls going ASU's way. Take #7 off the field for ASU and there was not much there. She had 7 of there 10 shots. ASU also struggled to possess. They played very hard. I was impressed with their workrate, but not necessarily their soccer. Oh, and they had the one defender who saved them continuously.