UCLA Women's Soccer: Bruins Ground Ducks 3-0, Face Off Against Oregon State Today
UCLA Women's Soccer: Bruins Ground Ducks 3-0, Face Off Against Oregon State Today
On Friday night, Sunshine Fontes had a brace for the Bruins and UCLA 'keeper Lauren Brzykcy recorded her third clean sheet in five games.
The UCLA women’s soccer team (5-0-0, 2-0-0) continued its impressive streak of play to start the delayed 2020-2021 season by grounding the Oregon Ducks (2-2-1, 1-1-0) on Friday evening, by a 3-0 score line. Now, Oregon goes across town to face #13 Southern Cal and the Oregon State Beavers (2-3-0, 0-2-0), who lost to the Trojans on Friday night, 2-0, come to Wallis Annenberg Stadium to face the Bruins. Kickoff is this afternoon at 1 pm PT.
Last Time Out
On Friday night, freshman midfielder Sunshine Fontes put in a masterclass effort for the Bruins, scoring two goals, her third and fourth of the season. Fontes got things started for UCLA in the 37th minute when she left-footed an absolutely gorgeous shot from the top right side of the penalty area, cleanly beating the Duck ‘keeper high and at the near post. It would be the only goal of the first half and UCLA was up 1-0 going into the break.
In the 70th minute of the second half, freshman forward Reilyn Turner was challenged in the box by a Duck defender, but Mia Fishel was first to the loose ball and punched home a left-footed shot to extend the Bruins’ lead to 2-0.
Fontes struck again in the 76th minute with another beautiful effort, putting the game out of reach and notching the brace. Fishel chested down the ball in the middle of the box with her back to the net and found Fontes outside the left side of the area. Fontes struck this one with her right foot and curled it into the top corner inside the far post. Another brilliant strike.
Between the two freshmen, Fontes and Turner, and the sophomore Fishel, it is a changing of the guard for this UCLA squad. The young guns are carrying the scoring load, while getting great contributions from the more experienced members of the team.
Although the Ducks actually outshot the Bruins twelve to eleven, six of UCLA’s shots were on frame to only four for Oregon. UCLA goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy recorded her third clean sheet of the season, making four saves.
Oregon State Beavers
The Beavers have wins over Idaho and Stanford (a surprise upset) with losses to #10 UC Berkeley, #13 Southern Cal, and Portland. OSU only managed eight shots with one shot on goal against the Trojans on Friday night.
Oregon State has scored nine goals in five games this season with four of those goals coming from sophomore forward Brianna McReynolds. McReynolds also has two assists and leads the Beavers in shots and shots on goal. She hasn’t scored in the last two games, however, and UCLA will look to continue to keep her out of form. If the Bruins succeed, the Beavers will be hard-pressed to emerge victorious in today’s match.
Junior goalkeeper Bridgette Skiba has played all but 11 minutes of Oregon State’s campaign so far. So, she will almost assuredly start in net for the Beavers. Skiba has allowed all ten of Oregon State’s goals against this season, has made eighteen saves, and has recorded one clean sheet, which came in the opener on the road at Idaho.
Outlook
Based on a comparison of UCLA’s and Southern Cal’s seasons so far, I think that UCLA’s back line is the superior of the two and that, as a result of that, the Beavers will be hard-pressed to get more chances against the Bruins than they did on Friday against the Trojans, where they only recorded one shot on frame. I predict another clean sheet for UCLA and Brzykcy and think that the Bruins will equal or exceed their scoring output against Oregon on Friday.
The Beavers have allowed ten goals in four games this season, including four goals by Portland and three goals by UC Berkeley. I think something similar happens today. My prediction: 4-0 Bruins.
#3 UCLA Women’s Soccer (5-0-0)
Opponent: Oregon State Beavers (2-3-0)
Game Time: 1:00 pm PT, Sunday, March 7, 2021
Where: Wallis Annenberg Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Live TV: Pac-12 Networks National, Los Angeles and Bay Area with Christian Miles
Live Stream: Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app
Live Audio: uclabruins.com with Ted Enberg
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
Game Notes
UCLA
Oregon State
This is your UCLA Bruins versus Oregon State Beavers women’s soccer game thread.
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Fishel scores with :50 seconds left in the first half. UCLA up at the break, 1-0.
OSU ties the game in the 68th minute. 1-1.