USF-LMU Live Stats | Watch Live

USF-Pepperdine Live Stats | Watch Live

USF will face stern tests this weekend when they travel to Southern California to meet the WCC's top two teams in Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine.
 
The Dons (6-8, 2-2 WCC) will meet second-place Loyola Marymount (9-3-3, 4-1-0 WCC) on Friday evening in Westchester before heading up the Pacific Coast Highway for a date with 19th-ranked and WCC frontrunner Pepperdine (9-3-3, 4-0-1) on Sunday.
 
USF head coach Jim Millinder knows the Dons will have their hands full with two of the WCC's best but welcomes the opportunity to come away with points. "This is a big weekend for us against two outstanding teams," said Millinder. "We need to play well defensively and offensively to get results. LMU is having an outstanding year. They are tough, organized and very good in many facets of the game. Pepperdine is ranked in the top-20 and sit atop the standings after beating BYU."
 
USF has been idle since shutting out Pacific, 1-0 on Oct. 9 and will bring a two-match win streak into Sullivan Field on Friday night. The Dons will face a high-scoring LMU team which ranks second in the WCC in goals scored with 31 and features three players who have tallied at least 10 points on the season. Sarina Bolden and Maddie Medved lead the Lions in goals scored with five apiece, while Pilar Torres has added four on the season. Goalkeeper Charlee Pruitt sports a 0.97 goals against average with four shutouts, while USF's Makayla Presgrave leads the WCC in saves with 71.
 
The Dons dropped last year's match to the Lions at Negoesco Stadium, 2-0 and then preceded to win their next five matches to move into position to claim their first-ever WCC title. USF is 2-2-1 in the last five meetings with LMU with its last win in the series coming in 2014, when the Dons stunned LMU, 1-0 on a goal from Mackenzie Krieser in the 54th minute.
 
On Sunday, USF squares off against conference leader and 19th-ranked Pepperdine, which will bring a 9-3-3 overall mark and a 4-0-1 conference record into its Friday match against Santa Clara. The stingy Waves are unscored upon in their last five matches and have yielded only 11 goals on the entire season. Keeper Hannah Seabert boasts a 0.70 goals against average and leads the WCC in shutouts with six. Rylee Baisden leads Pepperdine in scoring with 11 points (5 goals, 4 assists) while Nicole Leggio has four tallies on the year.
 
USF will return to Negoesco Stadium next weekend to face Portland on Friday night and Gonzaga on Sunday afternoon.