Saturday, November 7
Moraga, CA
1:00 PM
Saint Mary's College of California
10-4-5, 4-4-1
1
vs
2
Pepperdine
10-4-4, 6-1-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperdine | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Saint Mary's (CA) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
11/7/2026 6:02:00 PM | Women's Soccer
MORAGA, Calif. - Saint Mary's women's soccer fell to the Pepperdine Waves 2-1 this Saturday afternoon in a Senior Day thriller to close out its 2026 season. In the 12th minute, Julia Quinonez converted from the penalty spot for her team-high 14th goal of the season. Then just before halftime, Brooke Fairbanks found the back of the net off a header for her second goal of the season to level the match. The Gaels would continue to battle, but a Peyton Leonard strike in the 87th minute was enough to give the Waves the late victory and a share of the 2026 WCC regular season championship.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gaels would battle from the jump, with goalkeeper Kate Plachy forced into action early with her first save of the match in the 10th minute. The Waves would then earn a penalty kick in the 12th minute, which was converted by senior forward Julia Quinonez for her team-high 14th goal of the season. Saint Mary's continued to fight back, as midfielder Annie Boyden recorded the first shot of the match for the Gaels in the 31st minute that forced a quality save from Waves goalkeeper Jillian Medvecky. In the 45th minute, senior forward Brooklyn Smith fired in a soaring cross off a corner kick to the backpost, which found the head of junior midfielder Brooke Fairbanks for her second goal of the season to level the match just before the half.
Saint Mary's was off and running early in the second half, with an Annie Boyden shot forcing another save from Medvecky in the 47th minute. Despite 12 second-half shots from Pepperdine, Plachy and the Gaels continued to fight, with Plachy recording a huge game-saving stop in the 75th minute to deny Quinonez a brace and a share of the conference lead in goals. A huge Plachy stop in the 81st minute kept the match level, but an 87th-minute goal from senior Peyton Leonard was enough to give the Waves the edge despite a 15-shot performance from the Gaels.
With today's result, Saint Mary's would finish fifth in the conference with 13 points, while Pepperdine and LMU secured a share of the 2026 WCC regular season championship.
GAME NOTES
Final West Coast Conference standings can be found at wccsports.com, while season results and statistics can be found 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
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gaels would battle from the jump, with goalkeeper Kate Plachy forced into action early with her first save of the match in the 10th minute. The Waves would then earn a penalty kick in the 12th minute, which was converted by senior forward Julia Quinonez for her team-high 14th goal of the season. Saint Mary's continued to fight back, as midfielder Annie Boyden recorded the first shot of the match for the Gaels in the 31st minute that forced a quality save from Waves goalkeeper Jillian Medvecky. In the 45th minute, senior forward Brooklyn Smith fired in a soaring cross off a corner kick to the backpost, which found the head of junior midfielder Brooke Fairbanks for her second goal of the season to level the match just before the half.
Saint Mary's was off and running early in the second half, with an Annie Boyden shot forcing another save from Medvecky in the 47th minute. Despite 12 second-half shots from Pepperdine, Plachy and the Gaels continued to fight, with Plachy recording a huge game-saving stop in the 75th minute to deny Quinonez a brace and a share of the conference lead in goals. A huge Plachy stop in the 81st minute kept the match level, but an 87th-minute goal from senior Peyton Leonard was enough to give the Waves the edge despite a 15-shot performance from the Gaels.
With today's result, Saint Mary's would finish fifth in the conference with 13 points, while Pepperdine and LMU secured a share of the 2026 WCC regular season championship.
GAME NOTES
- Goalkeeper Kate Plachy recorded four saves in the match for the seventh time this season, bringing her collegiate total to 175 saves, passing Maleah Milner for seventh all-time among Gael goalkeepers.
- Midfielder Annie Boyden led the Gaels with three shots and two shots on goal in the match off the bench.
- Ten different Gaels recorded a shot in the match, with Saint Mary's recording double-digit shot attempts for the 13th time this season.
- Four different Gael outfield players recorded 90 minutes played, including senior Molly Silva and graduate student Anna Emperador, with both defenders leading the Gaels in minutes played this season.
- Seniors Brooklyn Smith, Maren Hoovel, Kate Plachy, Molly Silva, and Brittany Holden were honored pregame for the Gaels.
Final West Coast Conference standings can be found at wccsports.com, while season results and statistics can be found 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 SoccerD
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerGK
/ Women's SoccerD
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerTeam Stats
PEP
SMC
Goals
2
1
Shots
17
15
Shots on Goal
6
6
Saves
5
4
Corners
6
4
Fouls
11
8
Scoring Plays
Julia Quinonez (13)
PEP Julia Quinonez PENALTY KICK GOAL.
12:05
Brooke Fairbanks (2)
Assisted By: Brooklyn Smith
GOAL by SMC Fairbanks, Brooke Assist by Smith, Brooklyn.
44:33
Peyton Leonard (1)
Assisted By: Alex Pendleton
GOAL by PEP Leonard, Peyton Assist by Pendleton, Alex.
86:43
Game Leaders
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
mid
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
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