UCLA Women's Soccer Takes Down Duke in Heated Top-3 Showdown
The Bruins took their talents east and aced their biggest test of the season so far.
No. 3 UCLA women's soccer (4-0) went on the road and beat No. 2 Duke (4-1) by a score of 2-1 on Thursday. Junior forward Reilyn Turner scored the go-ahead goal in the 62nd minute, while graduate goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy recorded a career-high nine saves in the match to lock down the win.
Many of those saves came with the outcome on the line, including three between the 73rd to 80th minutes alone. High, low, middle, post – Brzykcy turned them all away in the chaotic second half, making Turner's goal the game-winner.
The Bruins and Blue Devils were tied 1-1 at the half, as sophomore defender Jayden Perry converted on a penalty kick in the 12th minute. Forward Michelle Cooper knotted up the score in the 39th with a goal of her own, marking the only time all night that Duke bested Brzykcy.
Duke got off 11 shots, 10 of which were on goal, while UCLA only attempted eight and had four end up on target.
in the second half, the discrepancy was even more extreme – the Blue Devils had eight shots compared to the Bruins’ two. Luckily for UCLA, Brzykcy racked up seven saves in the second half alone to blank Duke in the final 50 minutes.
With her keeper holding down the fort and her forwards converting on their key chances, coach Margueritte Aozasa now has a signature win to her name just two weeks into her first campaign in Westwood.
UCLA’s gauntlet of a road trip continues Sunday against No. 1 North Carolina, with kickoff scheduled for 9 a.m PDT. Should the Bruins best the top-two teams in the country away from home in a four-day span, they could jump all the way up to No. 1 in the nation.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF UCLA ATHLETICS