Hat trick by Reilyn Turner seals win vs. Loyola Marymount for women’s soccer

This post was updated Sept. 6 at 8:49 p.m.

For the first time since 2017, a Bruin scored a hat trick.

And it only took until the 36th minute.

No. 4 UCLA women’s soccer (4-0) defeated Loyola Marymount (0-6) 3-0 on Sunday afternoon at Sullivan Field. Sophomore forward Reilyn Turner scored three goals in the contest, becoming the first Bruin to do so since Hailie Mace in 2017.

Turner had tallied eight shots on goal through the team’s first three games prior to Sunday’s match but was only able to convert one of those opportunities. Coach Amanda Cromwell said the reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year’s stats do not tell the full story of her play so far this year.

“I know she had some opportunities to finish that she didn’t score (in the first three games),” Cromwell said. “She’s been overdue, and so it’s not a surprise to me that she got that hat trick.”

UCLA’s first scoring chance of the game came in the fifth minute when freshman defender Quincy McMahon sent a cross into the middle of the box that three Bruins in front of the net couldn’t punch home.

However, the Bruins did not need to wait long to get on the board. In the sixth minute, Turner found the back of the net for her second goal of the season. McMahon tallied the assist on the play – the first of her collegiate career.

Eleven minutes later, Turner notched her second goal of the game when she dribbled up the sideline, made a turn toward the center of the field and put a shot on frame that deflected off the far post and past the LMU goalkeeper.

Turner completed her first career hat trick – after coming up one goal shy in three games in her freshman season – in the 36th minute, courtesy of a pair of assists from freshman defender Lilly Reale and redshirt junior defender Madelyn Desiano.

“It’s so awesome,” Turner said. “It was just great to go out there and play with my team, and the outcome we got was pretty nice.”

UCLA maintained its offensive pressure through the end of the first half, tallying 12 shots to LMU’s zero. The Lions tallied their first shot of the match in the 56th minute when redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Hannah Mitchell – who subbed in to start the second half for the Bruins – came up with a save, the only stop a UCLA goalkeeper would have to make all afternoon.

The Bruins’ defense registered its third shutout of the year, limiting the Lions to three shots.

Reale said the backline was able to use what it learned in practice to maintain its focus and translate it to in-game success.

“I think that’s been really exciting as a backline, to see that what we’ve been working on has paid off and just that we can really keep our focus for the full 90 minutes because, obviously, things get chaotic sometimes,” Reale said. “Things happen, everyone makes mistakes, including myself. And I think it’s just good to see how we recover as a team and have each other’s backs.”

The Bruins did not carry over the same offensive success from the first half, failing to find the back of the net in the second period. However, they finished the contest with 22 shots and nine corner kicks, both season-high marks.

For the second consecutive game, the blue and gold made a change to its starting lineup, this time inserting freshman defender Jayden Perry and sophomore midfielder Michaela Rosenbaum into the group. The Bruins then opened the second half with six new faces on the pitch, including freshman defender Clara Härdling, who made her collegiate debut.

Reale said everyone on the team is always ready to come in at every opportunity.

“Everyone going into the game just has to kind of know their role,” Reale said. “Just really being a student of the game helps with that aspect, so you’re not going into it blindly.”

UCLA returns to the pitch Thursday at Wallis Annenberg Stadium when it faces off against the reigning national champion, the Santa Clara Broncos.