Women’s soccer notches Senior Day win with strong overall performance
Senior forward Julia Hernandez recorded two goals in her final home game for the Bruins, her first goals of the season. Last year, Hernandez finished with six goals and one assist. (Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
By Jacqueline Dzwonczyk
Oct. 22, 2018 12:33 a.m.
Hailie Mace and Julia Hernandez left their Senior Day match in the 84th minute with two goals apiece.
No. 9 UCLA women’s soccer (11-3-1, 6-2-0 Pac 12) took down Oregon State (2-14-0, 1-7-0 Pac 12) 6-0, with four goals coming from the two senior forwards in their last regular-season home game.
“You can’t have a better senior day,” said coach Amanda Cromwell. “We had a great crowd, a six-nil win, getting a shutout and both the seniors getting on the board twice.”
Mace missed the last six games while playing for the United States Women’s National Team – but it only took her seven minutes to get off the mark.
A loose ball in the Oregon State box bounced to Mace’s foot; she crashed the back post late from her position at outside back. She nailed the shot into the back of the net to put the Bruins up early.
“(UCLA) has improved a lot since I’ve been gone, so I just fit right in,” Mace said.
In the 15th minute, junior midfielder Jessie Fleming drew two Beaver defenders away as she dribbled deep down the left side of the box, drawing a foul and earning a Bruin penalty kick.
Hernandez, a forward, took the penalty kick for the Bruins, drilling it into the bottom right corner to extend the UCLA lead to two. The goal was Hernandez’s first of the season.
“(The coaches) could have just kept me on the bench because I’m not scoring, but they kept giving me chances, so I’m glad that I responded,” Hernandez said.
The Bruins entered halftime with a 4-0 lead, after a goal from sophomore midfielder Ashley Sanchez and a second from Mace.
Mace has scored four goals in six games played this season.
Cromwell said playing Mace at outside back can help the Bruins generate offense.
“She scored two legit goals at left back,” Cromwell said. “Anytime you have a player that can defend really well and also get forward and attack and get goals, she has a good shot of helping us achieve our goals.”
The UCLA defense did not allow a single shot on goal, leaving redshirt freshman goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy – who got her fourth start of the season – untested.
Oregon State kept pressure on UCLA with its physical style of play, despite its lack of shots. The Beavers finished the match with 11 fouls, including two yellow cards.
Hernandez scored her second goal of the match and of the season on a cross from sophomore midfielder Delanie Sheehan in the 61st minute.
“(My teammates) have been trying to tell me where they want me to go and helping me make those runs in practice,” Hernandez said.
Sanchez added one more goal for the Bruins – her second of the game – to put UCLA up by their largest margin of the season.
After two wins at home this weekend, the Bruins will travel to Utah (8-7-1, 5-3-0 Pac 12) on a six-game win streak.
