Wednesday, October 22
San Diego, CA
7:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
at
San Diego
#36 Aleiyah Schexnayder: 13 GP/13 GS, 1,111 MP, 1 ast., 3 SH, on current four-match streak playing all 90 minutes
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
WSOC | Massive Road Trip for the Gaels, SoCal Matchups with San Diego and Pepperdine
10/21/2025 12:36:00 PM | Women's Soccer
MORAGA, Calif. — After battling to a hard fought scoreless draw in their match against the Portland Pilots last week, the Saint Mary's women's soccer team is heading south to take on San Diego and WCC leading Pepperdine. The result with the Pilots marked the Gaels' third tie of the season and kept both teams locked in a tie for second place in the conference standings at 3-1-2.
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
WSOC | Saint Mary's at San Diego | Torero Stadium
San Diego, Calif. | October 22nd | 7:00 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
WSOC | Saint Mary's at Pepperdine | Tari Frahm Rokus Field
Malibu, Calif | October 25th | 12:00 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Earn Ninth Shutout of the Season…
The face off between the Gaels and the Pilots opened with high intensity, as both teams fought to establish control. Saint Mary's created several quality chances, one of the best coming off of a Gaels throw in from Molly Silva, which bounced around before finding its way back to Ashlyn Vaughn just outside the 18-yard box. Vaughn fired a strike toward the top right corner of the goal, forcing Portland's goalkeeper to make a leaping save to keep the match level.
Defensively, the Gaels remained steady and composed throughout the match, keeping the Pilots off the scoreboard. A critical tackle from Isabel Lendman late in the game stopped a dangerous counterattack and helped preserve the clean sheet.
By the end of the match, Saint Mary's had outshot Portland 12-6, but could not find the finishing touch. With the result, the Gaels earned their ninth shutout of the season, remaining atop in the WCC in that category and continuing to showcase their defensive strength as conference play heats up. The drama will continue down the stretch of the season as both teams remain in a tie for second place at 3-1-2 while Pepperdine leads the WCC with a perfect 6-0-0 record.
Series History…
In the last ten meetings between the Gaels and the Toreros, Saint Mary's holds a 6-3-1 record. Their most recent meeting ended in a dominant 4-0 win for the Gaels, with Sydney Middaugh playing a key role. The junior forward tallied the team's second goal of the game, added an assist on former teammate Micaela Romo's strike, and led the Gaels with six shot attempts.
In the 2023 season, Saint Mary's defeated San Diego 4-2, with several current Gaels playing key roles in the victory. Senior Briana Salvetti scored twice, opening the match with a goal assisted by Sydney Middaugh and adding another with help from Emmie Ennis. Middaugh also found the back of the net early in the second half, while Savannah Schwarze and Salvetti each added an assist to cap off an all around strong offensive performance from the Gaels. Saint Mary's is unbeaten against San Diego over their last five matches as the Toreros will look for their first win since 2019.
As for Pepperdine, over the last ten years Saint Mary's is 2-4-4. Last season, the meeting between the Waves and the Gaels resulted in 1-1 tie, with the lone goal coming from Sydney Middaugh. The year prior, Saint Mary's fell to the Waves 3-0. The Gaels last win over Pepperdine came back in 2018. The match on Saturday against the Waves will mark a crucial game for Saint Mary's in the race for the conference title and a potential at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.
ABOUT THE TOREROS (4-3-6, 1-3-2)
In their most recent outing, San Diego fell 2-1 to Pepperdine, marking their second consecutive loss. The lone goal came from junior forward Tamia Graham, who now has three goals on the season, ranking third on the team in scoring. Leading the way for the Toreros are forwards Josefine Schlichting and Amanda Anders, who have each tallied five goals this year. The duo paired up to secure San Diego's most recent conference win, a 2-1 victory over the Portland Pilots back in week two of conference play. The Toreros currently sit at 1-3-2 in conference play and 4-3-6 overall.
The Toreros are under the helm of head coach Greg LaPorte, who is in his second year with San Diego. In just his first season with the team, LaPorte made an immediate impact, tripling the Toreros' win total from the 2023 season. This year, he helped USD to their best start in program history with eight unbeaten games and a 3-0-5 record before suffering their first defeat on September 27th to Gonzaga.
ABOUT THE WAVES (9-4-1, 6-0-0)
Pepperdine currently sits at the top of the WCC standings with a 6-0 conference record and a 9-4-1 overall record. On top of that, the Waves currently hold a six game winning streak, with their last loss coming back in early September against San Diego State.
In their most recent match with San Diego, Pepperdine's first goal came from Julia Quinonez. Quinonez not only leads the Waves in strikes but also leads the WCC in goal scoring. Teammate Tatum Wynalda also leads the conference in assists with eight on the season.
The Waves are under the leadership of head coach Tim Ward who is in his 28th season with the team. Over his time with Pepperdine, Ward has led the team to 14 NCAA tournaments, five WCC titles, recognized in the Top-25 nine times, and earned Coach of the Year five times. Pepperdine is looking for their second consecutive WCC title and third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Gaels will travel south to take on San Diego on Wednesday, October 22nd and kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM. Following this, Saint Mary's will head to Malibu to face Pepperdine on Saturday, October 25th at 12:00 PM. Both games can be streamed live on ESPN+ and tickets can be purchased at smcgaels.com.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
GAME COVERAGE AND INFORMATION
WSOC | Saint Mary's at San Diego | Torero Stadium
San Diego, Calif. | October 22nd | 7:00 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
WSOC | Saint Mary's at Pepperdine | Tari Frahm Rokus Field
Malibu, Calif | October 25th | 12:00 PM
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets
GAELS OUTLOOK
Gaels Earn Ninth Shutout of the Season…
The face off between the Gaels and the Pilots opened with high intensity, as both teams fought to establish control. Saint Mary's created several quality chances, one of the best coming off of a Gaels throw in from Molly Silva, which bounced around before finding its way back to Ashlyn Vaughn just outside the 18-yard box. Vaughn fired a strike toward the top right corner of the goal, forcing Portland's goalkeeper to make a leaping save to keep the match level.
Defensively, the Gaels remained steady and composed throughout the match, keeping the Pilots off the scoreboard. A critical tackle from Isabel Lendman late in the game stopped a dangerous counterattack and helped preserve the clean sheet.
By the end of the match, Saint Mary's had outshot Portland 12-6, but could not find the finishing touch. With the result, the Gaels earned their ninth shutout of the season, remaining atop in the WCC in that category and continuing to showcase their defensive strength as conference play heats up. The drama will continue down the stretch of the season as both teams remain in a tie for second place at 3-1-2 while Pepperdine leads the WCC with a perfect 6-0-0 record.
Series History…
In the last ten meetings between the Gaels and the Toreros, Saint Mary's holds a 6-3-1 record. Their most recent meeting ended in a dominant 4-0 win for the Gaels, with Sydney Middaugh playing a key role. The junior forward tallied the team's second goal of the game, added an assist on former teammate Micaela Romo's strike, and led the Gaels with six shot attempts.
In the 2023 season, Saint Mary's defeated San Diego 4-2, with several current Gaels playing key roles in the victory. Senior Briana Salvetti scored twice, opening the match with a goal assisted by Sydney Middaugh and adding another with help from Emmie Ennis. Middaugh also found the back of the net early in the second half, while Savannah Schwarze and Salvetti each added an assist to cap off an all around strong offensive performance from the Gaels. Saint Mary's is unbeaten against San Diego over their last five matches as the Toreros will look for their first win since 2019.
As for Pepperdine, over the last ten years Saint Mary's is 2-4-4. Last season, the meeting between the Waves and the Gaels resulted in 1-1 tie, with the lone goal coming from Sydney Middaugh. The year prior, Saint Mary's fell to the Waves 3-0. The Gaels last win over Pepperdine came back in 2018. The match on Saturday against the Waves will mark a crucial game for Saint Mary's in the race for the conference title and a potential at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament.
ABOUT THE TOREROS (4-3-6, 1-3-2)
In their most recent outing, San Diego fell 2-1 to Pepperdine, marking their second consecutive loss. The lone goal came from junior forward Tamia Graham, who now has three goals on the season, ranking third on the team in scoring. Leading the way for the Toreros are forwards Josefine Schlichting and Amanda Anders, who have each tallied five goals this year. The duo paired up to secure San Diego's most recent conference win, a 2-1 victory over the Portland Pilots back in week two of conference play. The Toreros currently sit at 1-3-2 in conference play and 4-3-6 overall.
The Toreros are under the helm of head coach Greg LaPorte, who is in his second year with San Diego. In just his first season with the team, LaPorte made an immediate impact, tripling the Toreros' win total from the 2023 season. This year, he helped USD to their best start in program history with eight unbeaten games and a 3-0-5 record before suffering their first defeat on September 27th to Gonzaga.
ABOUT THE WAVES (9-4-1, 6-0-0)
Pepperdine currently sits at the top of the WCC standings with a 6-0 conference record and a 9-4-1 overall record. On top of that, the Waves currently hold a six game winning streak, with their last loss coming back in early September against San Diego State.
In their most recent match with San Diego, Pepperdine's first goal came from Julia Quinonez. Quinonez not only leads the Waves in strikes but also leads the WCC in goal scoring. Teammate Tatum Wynalda also leads the conference in assists with eight on the season.
The Waves are under the leadership of head coach Tim Ward who is in his 28th season with the team. Over his time with Pepperdine, Ward has led the team to 14 NCAA tournaments, five WCC titles, recognized in the Top-25 nine times, and earned Coach of the Year five times. Pepperdine is looking for their second consecutive WCC title and third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Gaels will travel south to take on San Diego on Wednesday, October 22nd and kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM. Following this, Saint Mary's will head to Malibu to face Pepperdine on Saturday, October 25th at 12:00 PM. Both games can be streamed live on ESPN+ and tickets can be purchased at smcgaels.com.
Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
MF
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerMF
/ Women's SoccerD
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerWSOC | Sydney Middaugh Goal vs. Washington State
Wednesday, October 08
WSOC | Ashlyn Vaughn Goal vs. LMU, Featured on SportsCenter's Top-10
Tuesday, October 07
WSOC | Game Winner vs. Gonzaga in WCC Opener
Thursday, September 25
WSOC | Postgame Interview vs. Hawaii 2025
Monday, September 08
