(Photo Courtesy of Percy Anderson/UCLA Athletics)
Winning Streak Ends, Shutout Streak Continues as UCLA Women's Soccer Ties Oregon
The Bruins' run of shutouts stayed alive Friday night, but their winning ways were cut short.
No. 3 UCLA women's soccer (8-0-1, 0-0-1 Pac-12) tied Oregon (5-0-4, 0-0-1 Pac-12) in a scoreless 0-0 tie to kick off Pac-12 play Friday night. The match went to two overtimes and still neither team could put one away, marking an end the Bruins' eight-game winning streak to open the season.
While UCLA has avoided ties all season long, Oregon has experienced them on the regular.
The Ducks also entered Friday undefeated, but the match against the Bruins was their fourth draw in nine contests this fall. This was, however, Oregon's first scoreless tie of the season – it was also UCLA's first since Aug. 31, 2018.
No goals for either team meant goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy and the Bruins' shutout streaks continued. UCLA has not conceded a goal since the waning minutes of its season-opening victory over UC Irvine and ranks second in the nation with a 0.125 goals allowed average.
Brzykcy, on the other hand, has not allowed a goal in her last 797 minutes in net dating back to last season. In order to keep that streak alive Friday, she had to make four saves, three of which came in the first half.
The one save Brzykcy had to make in the second occurred with less than nine minutes left in regulation. Oregon was working it down the right slot and sent it in front of the goal for a chance at a one-timer just outside the 6-yard box.
The shot from forward Ally Cook, who entered 2021 ranked sixth tied for sixth in program history with six career game-winning goals, went low and Brzykcy blocked it with her knee and absorbed the ball.
The Ducks didn't get a single shot off – on target or otherwise – in the final seven minutes of regular time or either overtime.
The only problem for the Bruins at that point was that they couldn't convert on their chances on the other end.
Marley Canales led UCLA with four shots, three of which went towards the net, only for all three to be saved. Her deep attempt in the opening third of the game was turned away, as were her tries in the 53rd and 75th minutes.
Redshirt sophomore midfielder Sunshine Fontes forced Oregon goalkeeper Leah Freeman to save her shot in the 69th minute and the Ducks were credited with a team save on sophomore Reilyn Turner's shot in the 60th. Junior forward Mia Fishel also had a chance to bury a header in the opening minute of the second half, only for that to fail as well.
Graduate midfielder Olivia Athens launched one last shot as the final seconds ticked off the clock in the second overtime, but the ball sailed wide and the match went final with a blank scoreboard.
UCLA hadn't been shut out since Oct. 19, 2019, against Stanford, and it hasn't happened to them at home since their third-ever game at Wallis Annenberg Stadium back on Sept. 21, 2018.
The Bruins only got to play a single home game sandwiched between their road trips to San Diego last weekend and the Arizona schools coming up. UCLA and Arizona will kick off Thursday at 8 p.m. in Tucson.
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