Women’s soccer sweeps weekend games against Arizona and Arizona State
Junior midfielder Lauren Barnes shoots the game-winning goal in Sunday’s 3-2 double-overtime win over No. 20 Arizona State. Barnes’ 104th-minute golden goal, her second of the season, secured the Bruins’ 11th straight win. UCLA’s win over the Sun Devils completed a 2-0 weekend against the Arizona schools.
By Min Kang
Oct. 11, 2009 11:08 p.m.
In a mad scramble for the ball, both UCLA and Arizona State players converged near the Sun Devils’ box.
Bouncing back and forth in pinball fashion, the ball eventually dribbled out to UCLA junior midfielder Lauren Barnes, who immediately fired the shot from 15 yards out.
“I just got lucky,” Barnes said. “Right place, right time and I finished my opportunity.”
It took two overtime periods, but for the Bruins, the result was well worth the wait, as they pulled out the nail-biting 3-2 win over the Sun Devils at Drake Stadium Sunday.
The No. 3 Bruins improve to 11-1-1 on the season and 2-0 in Pac-10 play, while the No. 20 Sun Devils fall to 7-3-2 and 0-2 in conference play.
“Initially, we came out a little flat,” coach Jillian Ellis said. “But ultimately, to gut it out and get the result, I’m immensely pleased. At the end of the day, with the number of chances we created, we deserved the win.”
Despite taking a whopping 37 shots, the Bruins played catch-up nearly the entire match Sunday.
“I told my team that there’s Plexiglas in front of the goal,” Ellis said. “I’ve never had a team take that many shots, but Arizona State played very hard defensively, and I tip my hat to them.”
UCLA fell behind after ASU’s Alexandra Elston scored a goal in the 15th minute to put the Sun Devils up 1-0.
It wasn’t until after the half that the Bruins pulled even with a goal off a rebound by freshman midfielder Zakiya Bywaters at the 54:30 mark.
In the 68th minute, Lauren Cheney, with a pair of defenders draped over her, put UCLA ahead with a close-range shot.
In fact, the senior midfielder was the target of physical play throughout the match, a style of play she is not unaccustomed to.
“You’re always going to have a target on your back, especially as a Bruin,” Cheney said. “But that’s okay, you’ve got to play through it.”
Ten minutes away from clinching another victory, the Bruins allowed Sun Devil freshman Kiara Williams to score off of a free kick, pushing ASU to a 2-2 tie.
The stalemate remained through the remainder of regulation, setting the stage for a double overtime showdown and Barnes’ game-clincher.
“Overtime is just about mentality and attitude, especially when you’re fatigued,” Ellis said. “But we put the pedal down, and I thought we showed great aggression and great pressure in the overtime periods.”
Sunday’s dramatic victory capped off a perfect Pac-10 debut for UCLA, who also defeated Arizona (3-8-1, 0-1) 2-0 on Friday, a match that marked the Bruins’ first game at Drake Stadium since Sept. 20.
“It was great to be back home,” freshman midfielder Chelsea Cline said. “Our energy was so high, and everything was just so exciting.”
In Friday’s game, the Bruins got things going in the fifth minute when senior forward Kristina Larsen scored from 25 yards out only after Wildcat goalkeeper Devon Wharf misplayed the ball and let it slip through her hands.
Thanks to a 63rd-minute yellow card issued to Arizona defender Analisa Marquez, Cheney scored on the ensuing free kick from just outside the penalty box to give her team the comfortable 2-0 lead.
With the goal, Cheney moved to second on UCLA’s all-time career scoring list behind Traci Arkenberg.
“(Cheney) has been playing amazing soccer,” Ellis said. “She is one of the best midfielders in the country right now. I’m pleased for her … and hopefully, she leaves here with a national championship.”
