UCLA
CSUN
Bruin Women Host CSUN in Thursday Soccer Doubleheader
August 24, 2022 | Women's Soccer
Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022 โ 4 p.m. PT
Los Angeles, Calif. (Wallis Annenberg Stadium)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Television: Pac-12 Networks
Talent: Nick Koop
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets: uclabruins.com/tickets
Price at gate: $15 at gate/$10 youth (3-16); Includes admission to men's game vs. UCI at 7pm; UCLA students free with BruinCard
Parking: purchase in advance on Park Mobile app
No. 6 UCLA (1-0) at Santa Clara (1-1)
Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022 โ 1 p.m. PT
Santa Clara, Calif. (Stevens Stadium)
MEDIA INFORMATION
Live Stream: WCC Network
Live Stats: santaclarabroncos.com
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets: santaclarabroncos.com/tickets
Price: $12
DOUBLEHEADER DAY
The sixth-ranked Bruins (1-0) will host the first game in a UCLA Soccer doubleheader on Thursday, Aug. 25, hosting CSUN (1-1) at 4pm before the UCLA men's soccer team hosts UC Irvine at 7pm in both teams' season opener. One ticket gets fans into both games at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
DANGEROUS ROAD TRIP AHEAD
UCLA's first road trip begins on Sunday, Aug. 28 with an afternoon matchup at Santa Clara. The Broncos were preseason ranked No. 5 but dropped out of the weekly rankings after going 1-1 to start the campaign. Following the Santa Clara match, the Bruins will head to North Carolina to face a pair of Top 5 opponents in No. 5 Duke (2-0) on Sept. 1 and No. 1 North Carolina (2-0) on Sept. 4.
NEW ERA BEGINS WITH SHUTOUT WIN
UCLA kicked off a new era under first-year head coach Margueritte Aozasa with a 1-0 shutout victory over Iowa on Aug. 18. Graduate student Maricarmen Reyes scored the game-winner, breaking a scoreless tie in the 60th minute after taking a cross from Quincy McMahon in front of goal and one-touching it with her left past the Hawkeye goalkeeper. Reyes' goal was the 11th of her career and her fifth game-winner. Graduate goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy earned her 21st career shutout, preserving the clean sheet with a diving save in the 80th minute on a bending Iowa free kick.
SCOUTING THE MATADORS
CSUN began the season with an 8-0 loss at Pepperdine and rebounded two days later to defeat Cal Baptist, 2-1, rallying with two second-half goals in five minutes from Cindy Arteaga (61') and Ashley Cruz (66'). Goalkeeper Taylor Thames recorded seven saves in the win. The Matadors return 12 letterwinners this season, including nine players who made 12 or more starts. The returning players also accounted for 10 of the team's 17 goals scored last season, including preseason All-Big West selection Arteaga.
THE SERIES WITH CSUN
The two teams met last season at UCLA, with the Bruins capturing a 3-0 victory on the strength of two first-half goals by Mia Fishel (6') and Reilyn Turner (27'). Lauren Brzykcy earned the shutout, making six saves. UCLA has won eight in a row in the series, which it leads 9-1. CSUN's only win came in 1996, 2-1 at home.
SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
Santa Clara began the season ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll but fell out of the rankings following a narrow 1-0 win over San Jose State and a 1-0 loss to UC Davis on an own goal. The Broncos are averaging 19 shots a game but have just the one goal by Izzy D'Aquila. Santa Clara has been to the College Cup in each of the last two seasons and won the NCAA Championship in Spring 2020. Last year, the Broncos recorded a 15-5-3 overall record and won their second-straight WCC title with an 8-1 conference record.
THE SERIES WITH SANTA CLARA
The two teams met last season at UCLA, with the Bruins capturing a 1-0 victory on a Reilyn Turner goal in the 23rd minute. Lauren Brzykcy made a career-high nine saves to earn the shutout. UCLA has won three of the last four meetings with the Broncos but is 1-5-2 in games played in Santa Clara.
AOZASA TO FACE ALMA MATER
In just her third game as UCLA's head coach, Margueritte Aozasa will face her alma mater and one of her coaching mentors in head coach Jerry Smith and the Santa Clara Broncos. Aozasa was a four-year starter under Smith from 2008-11, playing at midfield and center back and serving as team captain from 2010-11. A WCC All-Academic team member, she graduated from Santa Clara in 2012 with a major in psychology and minors in public health and Spanish.
IN THE RANKINGS
UCLA entered the season ranked No. 13 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and moved up to No. 6 after a 1-0 season opening win over Iowa. Top Drawer Soccer ranked the Bruins No. 6 in its preseason poll, and the Bruins remain there after the first week. The two-time defending Pac-12 champion Bruins were picked to finish second in the preseason Pac-12 Coaches poll.
BRUINS TO WATCH
Three Bruins were tabbed for the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Watch Lists - goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy, defender Lilly Reale and forward Reilyn Turner. All three earned All-Pacific Region and All-Pac-12 honors a year ago. Brzykcy in 2020 was an All-American and the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year. Last season, she led the Pac-12 and ranked 10th nationally with a 0.55 goals against average. starting in 19 games and ranking second amongst UCLA field players in minutes played with 1,683. She contributed to nine shutouts and scored one goal and one assist. Reale earned first-team All-Pacific Region and All-Pac-12 honors and was named to Top Drawer Soccer's Freshman Best XI first team and to College Soccer News' All-Freshman first team. Turner is UCLA's top returning scorer from 2021 with 10 goals and 21 points. As a freshman, she led the Pac-12 in scoring with 11 goals and 27 points. She is a two-time all-region and all-conference selection and earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year acclaim in 2020. Brzykcy and Reale were also named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List.
GLAD FOR GRADS
Four Bruins - Lauren Brzykcy, Ally Cook, Madelyn Desiano and Maricarmen Reyes - have extended their collegiate careers while earning a Master's degree in Transformative Coaching and Leadership at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies. Brzykcy is in her sixth season with the Bruins, having joined the Bruins in 2017. She redshirted that season and received an extra year of eligibility due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Desiano arrived in Spring 2018 and had to sit both 2018 and 2019 due to knee injuries. Reyes' first season was 2018, and although she has played in each of the last three years, she has missed time each season due to injuries or National Team obligations. Cook is in her first year at UCLA, having transferred after three years at Oregon (2019-21).
U-20s RETURN
The squad is now complete after the four Bruins playing in the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup have returned from Costa Rica. Freshmen America Frias and Bridgette Marin-Valencia helped lead Mexico to a quarterfinal showing, while the U.S. squad, which featured sophomore Lilly Reale and freshman Neeku Purcell, went 1-2 in group play and did not advance to the knockout stage.
WHO'S BACK?
UCLA returns three of its Top 5 leading point scorers from last season in Reilyn Turner (10g, 1a, 21pts), Maricarmen Reyes (4g, 2a, 10pts) and Madelyn Desiano (0g, 9a, 9pts). Turner led the Bruins in scoring as a freshman in 2020 with 11 goals, five assists and 27 points. Goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy, who played all but 90 minutes of the season, returns for her sixth year. Brzykcy earned All-America honors in 2020 and is a two-time All-Pacific Region and All-Pac-12 honoree. Eight players who started at least 10 games last season return - Brzykcy, Turner and Kylie Kerr (20); Lilly Reale (19), Brianne Riley (18); Madelyn Desiano and Quincy McMahon (12) and Reyes (10).
WHAT'S NEW, BRU?
The Bruins return 23 players from last season's roster and will look to replace starters Mia Fishel, Olivia Athens and Marley Canales. To do so, UCLA brought in the nation's top-ranked freshman class, including seven Top 25-ranked players in Kathryn Kelly (No. 7), Neeku Purcell (No. 8), Ellie Walbruch (No. 16), Sofia Cook (No. 19), Peyton Marcisz (No. 20), America Frias (No. 22) and Ally Lemos (No. 24). Walbruch, Cook and Lemos all joined the team early during Winter quarter and had a chance to train and play with the Bruins in the Spring. Also new to the squad are transfers Ally Cook (Oregon) and Maya Evans (California). Cook was a three-year starting forward for the Ducks and earned second-team All-Pacific Region and third-team All-Pac-12 honors last season after leading the team with eight goals and 20 points. Evans comes to UCLA after two seasons in Berkeley. As a freshman in 2020, she started in 11 of 13 games and led the team with 975 minutes played, earning Pac-12 All-Freshman honors.
