Women’s soccer ties 2-2 against No. 16 BYU in scrimmage
Senior forward Darian Jenkins was a force on offense against the Cougars, moving through multiple defenders on many occasions. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Michael Hull
Aug. 14, 2016 9:13 p.m.
It was only a scrimmage, but UCLA women’s soccer showed everything it had as the team fought to a 2-2 draw against No. 16 BYU.
The large contingent of fans on the North Athletic Field – the future home of UCLA soccer – did not have to wait long before the action came. In UCLA’s first offensive push, the team crossed a ball to sophomore forward Julia Hernandez, who was charging down the middle of the field. The header sailed high, but five minutes later, redshirt junior defender Zoey Goralski sent another cross to senior midfielder Annie Alvarado, whose shot found the back of the net.
“It was a great goal: getting Zoey to the end line, great cross to Annie,” said coach Amanda Cromwell. “We came out and took control of the game in the first 15 to 20 minutes.”
The cougars came back strong soon after. On a counter-attack, BYU attacker Nadia Gomes beat two UCLA defenders to tie the game at one each.
“We definitely need to be more prepared for the counter-attack,” said senior forward Darian Jenkins. “We need to want the ball, get at the ball more and just figure out positioning and adjusting and get more people back to help.”
Five minutes later , junior goalkeeper Siri Ervik recorded her first save as Gomes managed another shot on cage, but she got the rebound. Despite three Bruin defenders swarming her, the ball got out of the pack and past Ervik to put the Cougars up 2-1, but not for long.
Goralski received a pass from Hernandez at the top of the box on one of the following possessions, and sent the ball arcing over defenders and off of the goalkeeper’s hand into the top right corner of the net.
“Going down 2-1 and then coming back and getting the equalizer, I think that was great,” Cromwell said. “The first half was a little bit crazy, I didn’t expect to have four goals in the first half.”
Goals weren’t the only action in the first half though, as Cromwell also had to manage a handful of injuries to her starting line.
As UCLA was trying to clear the ball after a BYU corner kick, redshirt freshman midfielder Anika Rodriguez collided with a BYU forward as both tried to header the ball. After lying on the ground for a minute or so, she got up when the trainers arrived, but had to sit back down before leaving the field.
Senior defender/midfielder Gabbi Miranda was substituted out with Rodriguez after Cromwell said she got a charley horse in her left calf, and sophomore defender/forward Hailie Mace did not start the second half because she has been “nursing a hamstring.”
The injuries allowed the Bruins to allot minutes to other players though, which Cromwell said was one of the main focuses before the scrimmage – to see how different mixes of players fare in a game setting.
“We have a lot of young players that got good minutes to get their nerves out,” Alvarado said. “And definitely a lot to work on. Watching over the film will be good.”
The second half was good for that too, though all goal production on both ends of the field stopped, in no small part due to an increased level of physicality on both ends. Three of the four yellow cards were handed out in the second half, players would jostle away from the ball and fouls increased by 162 percent.
“(Teams) know that we’re quick and we’re really technical,” Jenkins said. “So that’s the only way they’re going to stop us is by bodying up and holding on to our jerseys before we even get the ball and things like that. So we just have to find a way to not let it get to us and not foul so much.”
