UCLA Women's Soccer: Bruins Face Trojans at the Coliseum in Regular Season Finale

UCLA has already won the Pac-12 Conference title. This game is for L.A. bragging rights and postseason seeding.

UCLA senior midfielder Delaine Sheehan scored the game-winning overtime goal versus Stanford last Sunday. (Photo Credit: Scott Chandler/uclabruins.com)

---

Tonight, the #3 UCLA women’s soccer team (12-1-1, 9-1-0 Pac-12) heads East on the 10 Freeway to face the #19 Southern Cal Trojans (7-3-2, 6-3-1 Pac-12) in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the teams’ final regular season game. Kick-off is at 4 pm PT. On March 18th, the teams played to a 2-2 draw in a non-conference game, one in which UCLA drew level with less than five minute remaining to salvage a point at home.

UCLA has already earned the conference title by virtue of its 3-1 road win over UC Berkeley last weekend. So, Los Angeles bragging rights and, possibly, postseason seeding, are about the only thing on the line for UCLA tonight. Southern Cal is presently in second place in the conference, but could slip a spot depending this game and other season-ending conference results.

Last Time Out

After earning the conference title with a win at UC Berkeley last Friday night, the Bruins continued their Bay Area trip versus Stanford last Sunday. The Cardinal are having a down season by their standards this year. Going into the UCLA game, Stanford was 5-5-2 on the campaign.

The Cardinal and the Bruins played to a scoreless first half, but it was Stanford that drew first blood in the second half of the game. Freshman forward Samantha Williams scored her first goal of her Stanford career in the 54th minute, putting the Cardinal up 1-0.

A little more than twenty minutes later, the Bruins drew level on a goal by freshman star Reilyn Turner, who leads the UCLA squad with nine goals this season. Neither team was able to score in the remainder of regulation, forcing a “golden goal” overtime.

That golden goal came quickly, with UCLA senior midfielder Delanie Sheehan finding the back of the net during a scrum in front of the Stanford goal only 58 seconds into overtime. The goal sent the Bruins into a celebratory frenzy in front of the Cardinal goal while Stanford players were left stunned.

Southern Cal Trojans

The Trojans played UCLA very tough back on March 18th and, although conceding the tying goal in the final minutes was tough for Southern Cal, they have played their best soccer of the season since facing UCLA, going 4-0-1 in conference, scoring 12 goals in those five games and conceding none. Zero. That’s right, the Trojans last conceded when UCLA scored on them on March 18.

Junior forward Penelope Hocking and senior forward Tara McKeown continue to lead Southern Cal in scoring. Hocking has nine goals and three assists on the season, while McKeown, who scored both goals against the Bruins, has six goals and six assists.

Going into the first UCLA game, Trojan goalkeepers Kaylie Collins and Anna Smith had both started three games each. In my article leading into that match, I disagreed with Southern Cal’s platoon of ‘keepers, stating that “the GK position is like a quarterback in American football. You need to pick one and stick with her. “

Well, the Trojans have done that and it has payed off. Collins has started in each match since the UCLA game and the Trojans have not lost, let alone conceded a goal. Expect to see Collins in net tonight.

Outlook

Both teams come into this game hot. UCLA might have a slight talent advantage, but that didn’t help much in the last match-up. Nevertheless, I am picking the forces of good over the Evil Empire. Bruins win, 2-1.

#3 UCLA Women’s Soccer (12-1-1)

Opponent: #19 Southern Cal Trojans (7-3-2)
Game Time: 4:00 pm PT, Friday, April 16, 2021
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Live TV: Pac-12 Networks National and Los Angeles with Anne Marie Anderson and Tammy Blackburn
Live Stream: Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app
Live Audio: None
Live Stats: SideArm Stats

Game Notes
UCLA
Southern Cal

This is your UCLA women’s soccer versus Southern Cal Trojans game thread.

Go Bruins! Beat $c!