Set Pieces Set UCLA Women's Soccer Apart From Arizona in Pac-12 Showdown

The Bruins' shutout streak ended, and their undefeated streak nearly did too.

Then they finally broke through late and escaped Tucson with a win.

No. 3 UCLA women's soccer (9-0-1, 1-0-1 Pac-12) was challenged early and often by Arizona (3-6-0, 1-2-0) late Thursday night before eventually winning 2-1. Both goals came off of corner kicks, which the Bruins had 13 of over the course of the match compared to the Wildcats' two.

Senior goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy saw her streak of not conceding a goal end at 850 minutes, not long after she posted five saves in the first half and got roughed up by a crashing Arizona striker in the opening moments. As a team, UCLA hadn't allowed a goal in any of its previous eight matches.

Brzykcy took a cleat right to the gut, which left her down for a few moments in the ninth minute. She still saved four of the next five shots that came her way though, and she was playing with a lead soon after thanks to junior forward Mia Fishel.

UCLA's leading scorer leapt up for a header off a corner by graduate midfielder Marley Canales and snuck it in to put her team up 1-0 in the 20th minute.

Trotting back towards midfield with her teammates tracking her down for a celebration, Fishel did her best Michael Jordan impression and shrugged with a smile stretched across her face.

The Bruins had chance after chance to extend their lead, but Wildcat goalkeeper Hope Hisey made saves in the 21st, 33rd and two in the 49th to keep her team alive and only down one score.

Arizona got its one goal by Brzykcy in the 53rd minute when forward Jill Aguilera finished a one-timer from the top of the box with her left foot, tying the match at 1-1.

Just 30 seconds later, UCLA was back to peppering Hisey, only for the Arizona goalie to continue to stonewall them. She made two more saves over the next 15 minutes, and then another three in the final 20.

Between those stretches of Hisey taking over, the Bruins had yet another corner kick. They converted on the set piece from Canales again, this time with senior midfielder Maricarmen Reyes being the one to put it in the back of the net.

Hisey refused to let UCLA pull away, and she ended the match with 11 saves – almost double Brzykcy's tally.

Arizona failed to get a shot on goal after the Bruins went up 2-1 in the 71st minute, however, so Reyes' sliding goal wound up being the game-winner.

UCLA will stick in the Grand Canyon State for a matchup with Arizona State on Sunday afternoon, looking to remain unbeaten on the season and earn some more points in Pac-12 play.

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