UCLA women’s soccer set to start new campaign following exhibition win

The Bruins open against UC Irvine on Thursday as the No. 5 team in the country

Experience could be the key as the Bruins take the field at Wallis Annenberg Stadium to start the 2021 season.

Headlined by Reilyn Turner, Marley Canales and Mia Fishel, the trio of stars on No. 5 UCLA women’s soccer is looking to avenge their Round of 16 loss to Clemson last season by making a deeper run in 2021. The Bruins return 83% of their goal creation from 2020, as departures from Lucy Parker, Jacey Pederson, Karina Rodriguez, and Delanie Sheehan do not look to hurt the offensive production for this year’s squad too drastically.

Canales is one of three super seniors that join the Bruins for the 2021 season. Alongside her, fellow midfielder Olivia Athens and forward Kennedy Faulknor have stayed with the team as they hunt for one more shot at a Pac-12 and NCAA Championship, which have both alluded the Bruins since they joined in 2017.

Goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy will be starting once again for the Bruins, coming off a career year that earned her praise in Westwood, on the West Coast and beyond. The senior was the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year and a third-team All-American last season, making 69 saves across all 17 of UCLA’s matches.

Starting forwards Fishel and Turner are the top-two returning scorers, and now they boast an extra year of side-by-side experience under their belts. The pair combined for 17 goals and 11 assists last season, creating a mass of the team’s chances. Both were honored by the Pac-12 last season with first and second team honors, respectively.

Sophomore forwards Sunshine Fontes and Kaila Novak will transition between starting and first off the bench for UCLA, with their performances last season earning them both Pac-12 All Freshman team honors. The more world-weary redshirt senior Faulknor will pick up her fair share of playing time this season as well.

Canales and Athens should have their spots solidified as midfielders in the Bruins’ starting XI with a mix of Egizii, senior Maricarmen Reyes, junior Jackie Gilday and redshirt Junior Madelyn Desiano playing the rest of the minutes available. Other Bruins will surely get opportunities there as well, with substitutions set to vary from game to game.

Junior Brianne Riley will step up to anchor the defense this season, as she started every match alongside Parker, Pederson and Rodriguez last season. Redshirt junior Shana Flynn and junior Kylie Flynn both also project to play important roles.

Fresh blood will be injected into the Bruins’ roster this season as well. The recruiting class was ranked No. 6 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer and included U.S. Youth National Team players midfielder Emma Egizii, defender Quincy McMahon and defender Lilly Reale.

McMahon and Norwegian Youth International defender My Haugland Sørsdahl both seem primed to play big minutes as well, either off the bench or making the occasional start. Michaela Rosenbaum is going to play on the right side, likely as the right back.

Reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year Amanda Cromwell is in her ninth season leading the charge for the Bruins. She has a 356-127-44 overall record as head coach heading into her next campaign.

With the regular season just over the horizon, UCLA played an exhibition versus Pepperdine on Aug. 12. The Bruins won 1-0 in a regulation 90-minute match, and then had the same result in a shortened 30-minute game the teams played afterward.

Turner scored in the first match and Egizii scored in the bonus matchup.

UCLA starts the season as the No. 5 team in the nation in both the United Soccer Coaches poll and the Top Drawer Soccer rankings, and it will face UC Irvine in the season opener Thursday.

The match will kick off at 4 p.m. at Wallis Annenberg Stadium and will also be televised on Pac-12 Networks.

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