This post was updated Nov. 16 at 9:02 p.m.

As rain pelted the field of Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Saturday, two Southern California teams took to the muddied turf with their seasons on the line. 

But aside from the occasional slip, the harsh climate proved to be no match for the Bruins’ determination to keep their season alive.

No. 4 seed UCLA women’s soccer (12-5-3, 6-2-3 Big Ten) defeated Pepperdine (11-7-2, 8-2-1 West Coast Conference) 3-1 at home in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Bruins bounced back from their semifinal exit in the Big Ten tournament last week, controlling the ball for most of the game to secure a spot in the round of 32.

The Bruins recorded two of their goals in the first half, holding a comfortable lead for nearly an hour of playing time.

But the Waves did not go down without a fight. Pepperdine midfielder/forward Tabitha LaParl ran down the field and netted a shot in the 89th minute to prevent a UCLA shutout. 

UCLA responded with a score of its own, as freshman forward Payten Cooper chased a ball down the left side of the field in the final minute of action, taking a shot into the upper right corner of the goal that Pepperdine goalkeeper Jillian Medvecky dove prematurely for.

“Everyone was telling me I was going to score, and I knew I had to,” Cooper said. “I’m so honored to be surrounded by these people because they keep me going.”

Redshirt senior Emma Egizii lit up the scoreboard early, weaving past multiple defenders to net a shot in the goal’s upper left corner in the third minute. 

“Huge credit to Emma – she’s such a joy to watch,” said coach Margueritte Aozasa. “We’ve had our trepidations in the first round – to start off with a bang like that really helped our confidence.”

Hard rainfall picked up in the 10th minute and persisted throughout, but the Bruins continued to control the ball, taking 10 shots on goal in the first half compared to the Waves’ three. The offensive dominance was punctuated when redshirt freshman forward Bella Winn netted a ball that bounced off the goal’s post, following up on a deflected pass from sophomore forward Kara Croone in the 31st minute.

Pepperdine found its footing in the second half, outshooting UCLA 5-1. After a Pepperdine shot made it to the goal line in the 61st minute, sophomore defender Paloma Daubert made a last-minute save to keep the ball from rolling into the goal. 

“Jennie (Immethun) and Paloma and Grace (Shank) and Meila (Brewer), all of them right in the court, just helped me so much with cleaning my mistakes up,” said freshman goalkeeper Daphne Nakfoor. “They shut down so many opportunities that Pepperdine had.”

Nakfoor nearly secured a shutout for UCLA against Pepperdine after she mistakenly passed to a Michigan State midfielder in last week’s Big Ten semifinal, which ultimately led to a Spartan victory. Nakfoor played aggressively Saturday, often leaving the box to deflect balls and recording three saves throughout the affair.

Nakfoor added that the UCLA coaching staff attempted to simulate the wet conditions during practice. Aozasa also said the team’s crew spent “hours” preparing the field for the rain before kickoff.

“We had tarps and water trying to mimic the slipperiness – obviously, nothing could really mimic it,” Nakfoor said. “Obviously, there was going to be mistakes, but it’s just bouncing back and making sure that we’re there for the team when they need us.”

Both squads made passing attempts that were halted by waterlogged grass, slowing the speed of play in the second half. Multiple Pepperdine players made offensive runs that ended in falls, allowing the Bruins to retake possession. 

UCLA will face BYU in the round of 32 on Friday. The Bruins fell to the Cougars in their third game of the season – and will now face them with their season on the line.

“The job is not finished, and I know we have so many more to go,” Cooper said. “Today, it feels great to win, but tomorrow we’re on our next mission and our next opponent.”

Contributing reports from Ella Dunderdale, Assistant Sports editor.