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UCLA women’s soccer capitalizes on set pieces, leaves Grand Canyon state with triumph

(Esther Ma/Daily Bruin)

By Diego Farinha

Oct. 7, 2021 1:23 a.m.

The Bruins utilized 28 corner kicks in two games to catapult their team to two more victories.

No. 3 UCLA women’s soccer (10-0-1, 2-0-1 Pac-12) prevailed twice over four days in the desert, winning a pair of one-score games over Arizona (3-7, 0-3) and Arizona State (8-3-1, 0-2-1) on Thursday and Sunday, respectively. The Bruins scored on four set plays in the two games to down the Wildcats 2-1 and overcome a 3-1 deficit against the Sun Devils.

Prior to Thursday, UCLA had racked up 51 corner kicks, averaging 5.67 per game, but was unable to capitalize on any of those set piece opportunities.

The 53rd corner kick of the season – and second of the match against the Wildcats – yielded the first goal off a corner of the campaign for the Bruins. It was also the eighth score on the year for junior forward Mia Fishel, this week’s Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week. After Arizona equalized in the 53rd minute, the Bruins retook the lead on another corner kick, ultimately defeating the Wildcats.

Sophomore midfielder Dasia Torbert said there was a focus on taking advantage of set plays going into the weekend, and she was happy with how it paid off.

“It’s been a huge (emphasis) in our scout,” Torbert said. “We’ve been working very hard to finish on our set pieces. Making sure we have bodies in there for the second balls. That’s how we came out on top in both games in Arizona, so I’d say it’s a success.”

As they did against the Wildcats on Thursday, the Bruins used set pieces to erase a 3-1 deficit against the Sun Devils on Sunday. The blue and gold won a season-high 15 corner kicks over the 96 minutes, including seven in the first half. One of the corner kicks resulted in graduate student midfielder Marley Canales’ first goal of the season, as her direct delivery ricocheted off the goalkeeper and into the net.

Torbert’s 3-3 equalizer in the 30th minute came on a set piece near midfield that was driven into the box by freshman defender Lilly Reale and put away by the sophomore midfielder, who was awaiting the second ball.

Graduate student midfielder Olivia Athens said this team resembles resilient teams of years past.

“I’ve been on teams before where we’ve battled back,” Athens said. “The Bruin way is to keep going and we did that – and got two more entirely by halftime – which I think was huge to come back from, because that’s really hard … (I’m) really proud of the team’s effort for that.”

Despite scoring six goals in two games in the Grand Canyon state, the Bruins had to withstand a barrage of goals over the two games, including three Sun Devil scores in 14 minutes, to remain undefeated on the season.

“We made it more difficult than it needed to be,” said coach Amanda Cromwell. “With that being said, Pac-12 teams, especially Arizona State, which has some really quality attacking players, can punish you. Our ability to come back was huge.”

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Diego Farinha | Sports staff
Farinha is currently a Sports staffer on the softball beat. He was previously a reporter on the women's soccer beat.
Farinha is currently a Sports staffer on the softball beat. He was previously a reporter on the women's soccer beat.
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