120!!!! UCLA Comes Back to Beat North Carolina, 3-2, in 2OT to Win Title
120!!!! UCLA Comes Back to Beat North Carolina, 3-2, in 2OT to Win Title
After falling behind 2-0, the Bruins pulled off a miracle comeback to tie the game with just 16 seconds left in regulation.
It’s Deja vu all over again!
Back in September, the Bruins visited North Carolina and fell behind to the Tar Heels. 1-0, only to score two late goals to hand them their first loss of the season.
Today’s game was even more dramatic than that.
After a scoreless first half, North Carolina drew first blood again. In the 59th minute, Avery Patterson scored the first goal of the game on a header to put the Tar Heels ahead.
The Tar Heels seemed determined to prevent another Bruin comeback. In the 75th minute, Patterson came along and added an insurance goal by scoring her second goal of the game. To Bruin fans who were watching this one, it seemed like the dagger that would once again kill UCLA’s chances for the school’s 120th NCAA title.
But if you turned off the game you missed one of the most thrilling comebacks in recent UCLA history. Dare I say it, it was reminiscent of a certain Bruin football game back in 1992 at the Rose Bowl when John Barnes hit J.J. Stokes for a touchdown with 3:08 to play. This one was even better than that finish, though.
In the 80th minute, Lexi Wright cut the gap back to one for the Bruins when Sunshine Fontes’ shot was saved and rebounded right back to Wright who poked it into the right side of the net for UCLA’s first goal of the match.
All UCLA needed was an equalizer in the final ten minutes and 18 seconds to force overtime.
Things looked bleak for the Bruins.
Minute after minute went by and North Carolina held strong. It looked like Carolina was on its way to their 22nd women’s soccer championship.
But then, with just 16 seconds left, Ally Lemos took a corner kick for UCLA which came down right where Reilyn Turner was and Turner headed it in for the equalizer to tie the game, 2-2.
Momentum had finally switched in favor of the Bruins as this game went into overtime.
Now, the overtime rules required two 10-minute overtime periods with no golden goal. After that, it would go to penalty kicks.
The teams went scoreless in the first overtime and they remained scoreless until the 107th minute. Ally Cook took a pass in front of the net and shot, but the shot was deflected by North Carolina goalkeeper Emmie Allen. Maricarmen Reyes ran down the rebound on the right side and she put it just to the left of the right post and past a diving Allen. GOAL, UCLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There were still about three minutes left to play, but the Bruins prevented the Tar Heels from forcing the game into penalty kicks.
After numerous tries by multiple Bruin teams in multiple sports, UCLA has won NC #120.
GO BRUINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Thank you for this. Just an outstanding job of writing. With 10 minutes left I saw we scored to make it 2-1. Not a good feeling. So glad to hear this outcome!
What an amazing gritty gutty clutch comeback! Congratulations to our Champions!!