Thursday, August 14
Athens, Ga.
4:30 PM PT
UCLA
at
Georgia
Bridgette Marin-Valencia
Photo by: Mac Brown
UCLA Women's Soccer Opens Season Thursday at Georgia
August 12, 2025 | Women's Soccer
No. 8 UCLA (17-4-3 in 2024) at Georgia (8-7-6 in 2024)
Date: Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 โ 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Location: Athens, Ga. (Turner Soccer Complex)
Broadcast: ESPNU
Talent: Alex Perlman, Marion Crowder
Live Stats: georgiadogs.com
2025 SEASON BEGINS THURSDAYย
The defending Big Ten Conference Tournament champion UCLA women's soccer team kicks off the 2025 season on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Georgia. The match will take place at Turner Soccer Complex at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT and will be televised on ESPNU. UCLA will play its home opener on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. against another SEC foe, Tennessee, at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA IN SEASON OPENERS
UCLA is 25-6-1 all-time in season openers and has won nine in a row and 14 of the last 15. This is the second time in the last three years that UCLA will face Georgia in the season opener. The Bruins won that 2023 contest at home, 2-0, thanks to goals by Jayden Perry and Ally Cook.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Georgia finished the 2024 season with an 8-7-6 record after a 3-2 loss to Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. All-Region goalkeeper Jordan Brown returns in 2025 after making 120 saves a year ago, the second-most of any goalkeeper in Georgia history. The Bruins will see a familiar face in redshirt freshman defender Kamryn Winger, who transferred from UCLA to Georgia in the offseason. ย ย ย ย ย
THE SERIES WITH GEORGIA
UCLA is 2-0 all-time against Georgia, winning 2-0 at home in 2023 and 6-1 in Gainesville, Fla. in 2000. The Bruins return five players who played in the 2023 contest, including starters Emma Egizii and Lexi Wright. America Frias, Val Vargas and Bridgette Marin-Valencia also saw action in that game. ย
LAST TIME OUT
The Bruins opened the season with a 3-0 exhibition victory over LMU on Aug. 9. The Bruins received first-half goals from sophomore Paloma Daubert and junior transfer Oruha Hayashi and a second-half score from redshirt senior Emma Egizii, playing in her first game since a season-ending injury four games into the 2024 season. Goalkeepers Daphne Nakfoor and Layla Armas combined for the shutout. Twelve newcomers saw action in the game.
COMEBACK COMPLETE
Redshirt seniors Emma Egizii and Lexi Wright and sophomore forward Bella Winn all returned to action in the Bruins' exhibition game after missing most, if not all, of the 2024 season with injuries. Egizii scored two goals in three games before getting injured during game four of the season. Her return to play on Saturday was highlighted by a left-footed rocket that gave UCLA a 3-0 lead in the second half. Winn recorded a goal and an assist in the Bruins' first two games but was injured while scoring her goal in game two and did not return the rest of the year. Wright suffered her injury early in preseason training in 2024. ย
PRESEASON RANKINGS
UCLA enters the season ranked No. 8 in both the United Soccer Coaches and Top Drawer Soccer preseason polls. The Bruins were picked to finish second in the conference in the Big Ten's preseason poll. UCLA will face six teams in 2025 who are ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 in No. 5 USC (Oct. 26 at home), No. 7 Stanford (Sept. 7 at home), No. 12 Michigan State (Sept. 18 on the road), No. 13 Iowa (Oct. 16 at home), No. 23 Wisconsin (Oct. 19 at home) and No. 24 Minnesota (Oct. 12 on the road). ย
EGIZII, IMMETHUN, WRIGHT NAMED TO WATCH LIST
Bruin seniors Emma Egizii, Jennie Immethun and Lexi Wright were selected to the Big Ten Players to Watch List. Both Egizii and Wright are coming off redshirt seasons, as they each suffered season-ending injuries early in 2024. Wright ranked third on the Bruin team in scoring in both 2022 (22 points) and 2023 (15 points) and was an all-conference performer in 2023. Egizii scored two goals in just three games a year ago prior to her injury and has five career goals. Wright and Egizii each played on UCLA's 2022 NCAA Championship team. Immethun enters her first year as a Bruin after transferring from TCU, where she was an All-Big 12 defender and 20-game starter in 2024. ย ย
GOOD WORK, LEXIย
Redshirt senior Lexi Wright has been announced as a nominee for the inaugural Allstate NACDA Good Works Team (Fall). The award recognizes male and female student-athletes across all divisions and sports who go above and beyond in their commitment to community service, academic achievement and athletic performance. Wright supports children with cancer through Zoe's Goal-Scoring Against Childhood Cancer, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about pediatric cancer, advocates for research and funding and supports young cancer patients. Wright does regular hospital visits to UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital to visit with patients and has worked with the UCLA campus organization Unified, which plays sports with special needs kids weekly and holds an Inclusive Sports Day. She also volunteers with Football For Her, a non-profit organization that provides a safe space and motivates those who identify as female or non-binary to play, regardless of their economic standing.ย
IMPACT TRANSFERSย
UCLA welcomes two experienced transfers to the squad in 2025 - defender Jennie Immethun and forward Oruha Hayashi. Immethun comes to UCLA from TCU, where she earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024. She started 20 games in 2024 while helping the Big 12 champions record seven shutouts, and in 2023, she started in 10 games. Oruha joined the Bruins after two years at Iowa Western, where she twice won the United Soccer Coaches Player of the Year for Junior College Division 1. Oruha, who scored 25 goals in 2024 and 19 in 2023, was selected the 2024-25 Betty Jo Graber NJCAA Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She quickly made an impact on her new team, scoring a goal in the Bruins' exhibition win over LMU. ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
WELCOME FRESHMENย
The Bruins bring in a dynamic recruiting class, highlighted by U.S. Youth National Team players Sofia Atehortua, Meila Brewer, Cassidy Doogan, Daphne Nakfoor, Leena Powell and Grace Shank, and Egyptian Youth National Team player Laila Edris. Powell played in the 2025 U-20 Concacaf Championships, and Brewer just helped lead the U-17s to the 4 Nations Tournament title. Also joining UCLA in 2025 are freshmen Payton Cooper, Jordyn Dunn, Siena Meyer and Julia Molnar. All 11 freshmen saw action in the Bruins' exhibition on Saturday. ย ย ย ย ย
ACADEMIC HONORS
For the 14th consecutive year, the UCLA women's soccer team has won a United Soccer Coaches College Team Academic Award, recognizing exemplary performance in the classroom during the 2024-25 academic year. The Bruins posted a team GPA of 3.26, their sixth consecutive year over 3.25. A total of 15 players were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team in the fall.ย
LOOKING BACK AT LAST SEASON ย
UCLA finished the 2024 season with a 17-4-3 record and a Big Ten Tournament title in its first year in the conference. The Bruins were hit hard with season-ending injuries early in the season, losing forwards Lexi Wright and Bella Winn and playmaker Emma Egizii for the bulk of the campaign. Additionally, America Frias, Val Vargas and Mariangela Medina missed the first eight games of the year while playing with Mexico in the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup. After starting the season with five consecutive shutout wins, a short-handed Bruin squad went 0-2-1 in their next three matches before turning it back around during conference play. The regular season conference title went down to the wire on the final day of play with a rivalry match between two unbeatens in UCLA and USC determining the champion. USC captured the title with a 1-0 win over the Bruins, but UCLA would go on to win the Big Ten Tournament after posting three-straight shutouts in tournament play. The Bruins won the title with a historic 5-0 win over Rutgers, scoring the most goals ever in a Big Ten Tournament championship. In the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins earned a 2-1 overtime victory over Cal Baptist in the first round but fell to Virginia Tech in the second round, 2-1.ย
Defender Lilly Reale earned All-America honors and was named Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. Goalkeeper Ryan Campbell led the nation with 16 shutouts and was named an All-American. Defender Nicki Fraser, who started in 20 games and helped the Bruins lead the nation with a 0.41 goals against average, earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. ย ย
PRO BRUINS
A total of 20 UCLA women's soccer alumnae have been on NWSL rosters in 2025, including six from last season's squad. Four are currently playing with NJ/NY Gotham FC - Lilly Reale, Ryan Campbell, Sofia Cook and Meg Boade. Jayden Perry plays with the Portland Thorns, and Quincy McMahon plays with San Diego Wave FC. Additionally, three other seniors from 2024 signed contracts overseas, with Ayo Oke signing with Pachuca in Mexico, and Alice Barbieri and Maya Evans playing for Sampdoria in Italy. Barbieri recently signed with Brooklyn FC in the USL. ย ย ย
BRUINS ON TVย
Four of UCLA's matches will be broadcast on TV this season - three on Big Ten Network and one on ESPNU. All remaining home and conference games will air on Big Ten Plus. The Bruins open the season on ESPNU at Georgia on Aug. 14. Conference matches at Michigan State on Sept. 18, vs. Rutgers on Sept. 25 and vs. USC on Oct. 26 will air on Big Ten Network.ย
FOLLOW THE BRUINS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow UCLA Women's Soccer at @UCLAWSoccer on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok and /UCLAWSoccer on Facebook.ย
Date: Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 โ 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Location: Athens, Ga. (Turner Soccer Complex)
Broadcast: ESPNU
Talent: Alex Perlman, Marion Crowder
Live Stats: georgiadogs.com
2025 SEASON BEGINS THURSDAYย
The defending Big Ten Conference Tournament champion UCLA women's soccer team kicks off the 2025 season on Thursday, Aug. 14 at Georgia. The match will take place at Turner Soccer Complex at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT and will be televised on ESPNU. UCLA will play its home opener on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. against another SEC foe, Tennessee, at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. ย ย ย ย ย
UCLA IN SEASON OPENERS
UCLA is 25-6-1 all-time in season openers and has won nine in a row and 14 of the last 15. This is the second time in the last three years that UCLA will face Georgia in the season opener. The Bruins won that 2023 contest at home, 2-0, thanks to goals by Jayden Perry and Ally Cook.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Georgia finished the 2024 season with an 8-7-6 record after a 3-2 loss to Colorado in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. All-Region goalkeeper Jordan Brown returns in 2025 after making 120 saves a year ago, the second-most of any goalkeeper in Georgia history. The Bruins will see a familiar face in redshirt freshman defender Kamryn Winger, who transferred from UCLA to Georgia in the offseason. ย ย ย ย ย
THE SERIES WITH GEORGIA
UCLA is 2-0 all-time against Georgia, winning 2-0 at home in 2023 and 6-1 in Gainesville, Fla. in 2000. The Bruins return five players who played in the 2023 contest, including starters Emma Egizii and Lexi Wright. America Frias, Val Vargas and Bridgette Marin-Valencia also saw action in that game. ย
LAST TIME OUT
The Bruins opened the season with a 3-0 exhibition victory over LMU on Aug. 9. The Bruins received first-half goals from sophomore Paloma Daubert and junior transfer Oruha Hayashi and a second-half score from redshirt senior Emma Egizii, playing in her first game since a season-ending injury four games into the 2024 season. Goalkeepers Daphne Nakfoor and Layla Armas combined for the shutout. Twelve newcomers saw action in the game.
COMEBACK COMPLETE
Redshirt seniors Emma Egizii and Lexi Wright and sophomore forward Bella Winn all returned to action in the Bruins' exhibition game after missing most, if not all, of the 2024 season with injuries. Egizii scored two goals in three games before getting injured during game four of the season. Her return to play on Saturday was highlighted by a left-footed rocket that gave UCLA a 3-0 lead in the second half. Winn recorded a goal and an assist in the Bruins' first two games but was injured while scoring her goal in game two and did not return the rest of the year. Wright suffered her injury early in preseason training in 2024. ย
PRESEASON RANKINGS
UCLA enters the season ranked No. 8 in both the United Soccer Coaches and Top Drawer Soccer preseason polls. The Bruins were picked to finish second in the conference in the Big Ten's preseason poll. UCLA will face six teams in 2025 who are ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 in No. 5 USC (Oct. 26 at home), No. 7 Stanford (Sept. 7 at home), No. 12 Michigan State (Sept. 18 on the road), No. 13 Iowa (Oct. 16 at home), No. 23 Wisconsin (Oct. 19 at home) and No. 24 Minnesota (Oct. 12 on the road). ย
EGIZII, IMMETHUN, WRIGHT NAMED TO WATCH LIST
Bruin seniors Emma Egizii, Jennie Immethun and Lexi Wright were selected to the Big Ten Players to Watch List. Both Egizii and Wright are coming off redshirt seasons, as they each suffered season-ending injuries early in 2024. Wright ranked third on the Bruin team in scoring in both 2022 (22 points) and 2023 (15 points) and was an all-conference performer in 2023. Egizii scored two goals in just three games a year ago prior to her injury and has five career goals. Wright and Egizii each played on UCLA's 2022 NCAA Championship team. Immethun enters her first year as a Bruin after transferring from TCU, where she was an All-Big 12 defender and 20-game starter in 2024. ย ย
GOOD WORK, LEXIย
Redshirt senior Lexi Wright has been announced as a nominee for the inaugural Allstate NACDA Good Works Team (Fall). The award recognizes male and female student-athletes across all divisions and sports who go above and beyond in their commitment to community service, academic achievement and athletic performance. Wright supports children with cancer through Zoe's Goal-Scoring Against Childhood Cancer, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about pediatric cancer, advocates for research and funding and supports young cancer patients. Wright does regular hospital visits to UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital to visit with patients and has worked with the UCLA campus organization Unified, which plays sports with special needs kids weekly and holds an Inclusive Sports Day. She also volunteers with Football For Her, a non-profit organization that provides a safe space and motivates those who identify as female or non-binary to play, regardless of their economic standing.ย
IMPACT TRANSFERSย
UCLA welcomes two experienced transfers to the squad in 2025 - defender Jennie Immethun and forward Oruha Hayashi. Immethun comes to UCLA from TCU, where she earned second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024. She started 20 games in 2024 while helping the Big 12 champions record seven shutouts, and in 2023, she started in 10 games. Oruha joined the Bruins after two years at Iowa Western, where she twice won the United Soccer Coaches Player of the Year for Junior College Division 1. Oruha, who scored 25 goals in 2024 and 19 in 2023, was selected the 2024-25 Betty Jo Graber NJCAA Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She quickly made an impact on her new team, scoring a goal in the Bruins' exhibition win over LMU. ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
WELCOME FRESHMENย
The Bruins bring in a dynamic recruiting class, highlighted by U.S. Youth National Team players Sofia Atehortua, Meila Brewer, Cassidy Doogan, Daphne Nakfoor, Leena Powell and Grace Shank, and Egyptian Youth National Team player Laila Edris. Powell played in the 2025 U-20 Concacaf Championships, and Brewer just helped lead the U-17s to the 4 Nations Tournament title. Also joining UCLA in 2025 are freshmen Payton Cooper, Jordyn Dunn, Siena Meyer and Julia Molnar. All 11 freshmen saw action in the Bruins' exhibition on Saturday. ย ย ย ย ย
ACADEMIC HONORS
For the 14th consecutive year, the UCLA women's soccer team has won a United Soccer Coaches College Team Academic Award, recognizing exemplary performance in the classroom during the 2024-25 academic year. The Bruins posted a team GPA of 3.26, their sixth consecutive year over 3.25. A total of 15 players were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team in the fall.ย
LOOKING BACK AT LAST SEASON ย
UCLA finished the 2024 season with a 17-4-3 record and a Big Ten Tournament title in its first year in the conference. The Bruins were hit hard with season-ending injuries early in the season, losing forwards Lexi Wright and Bella Winn and playmaker Emma Egizii for the bulk of the campaign. Additionally, America Frias, Val Vargas and Mariangela Medina missed the first eight games of the year while playing with Mexico in the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup. After starting the season with five consecutive shutout wins, a short-handed Bruin squad went 0-2-1 in their next three matches before turning it back around during conference play. The regular season conference title went down to the wire on the final day of play with a rivalry match between two unbeatens in UCLA and USC determining the champion. USC captured the title with a 1-0 win over the Bruins, but UCLA would go on to win the Big Ten Tournament after posting three-straight shutouts in tournament play. The Bruins won the title with a historic 5-0 win over Rutgers, scoring the most goals ever in a Big Ten Tournament championship. In the NCAA Tournament, the Bruins earned a 2-1 overtime victory over Cal Baptist in the first round but fell to Virginia Tech in the second round, 2-1.ย
Defender Lilly Reale earned All-America honors and was named Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. Goalkeeper Ryan Campbell led the nation with 16 shutouts and was named an All-American. Defender Nicki Fraser, who started in 20 games and helped the Bruins lead the nation with a 0.41 goals against average, earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. ย ย
PRO BRUINS
A total of 20 UCLA women's soccer alumnae have been on NWSL rosters in 2025, including six from last season's squad. Four are currently playing with NJ/NY Gotham FC - Lilly Reale, Ryan Campbell, Sofia Cook and Meg Boade. Jayden Perry plays with the Portland Thorns, and Quincy McMahon plays with San Diego Wave FC. Additionally, three other seniors from 2024 signed contracts overseas, with Ayo Oke signing with Pachuca in Mexico, and Alice Barbieri and Maya Evans playing for Sampdoria in Italy. Barbieri recently signed with Brooklyn FC in the USL. ย ย ย
BRUINS ON TVย
Four of UCLA's matches will be broadcast on TV this season - three on Big Ten Network and one on ESPNU. All remaining home and conference games will air on Big Ten Plus. The Bruins open the season on ESPNU at Georgia on Aug. 14. Conference matches at Michigan State on Sept. 18, vs. Rutgers on Sept. 25 and vs. USC on Oct. 26 will air on Big Ten Network.ย
FOLLOW THE BRUINS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow UCLA Women's Soccer at @UCLAWSoccer on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok and /UCLAWSoccer on Facebook.ย
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