UCLA women’s soccer claims victory over Colorado with goal in double overtime

For the third straight match, the Bruins played extra soccer.

After a corner kick and scramble in the second 10-minute period, graduate student midfielder Marley Canales – who was unable to convert an overtime penalty shot in Thursday’s tie with Utah – found the back of the net.

“Life’s funny,” Canales said. “I let that opportunity slip on Thursday, and I knew that my team needed me for today, and I couldn’t let that weigh too heavy on myself. We needed this one, and we got it, so I’m super happy.”

Canales’ goal walked off No. 3 UCLA women’s soccer (11-0-2, 3-0-2 Pac-12) for a 2-1 overtime victory against Colorado (6-6-1, 1-3-1) at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Sunday afternoon – the Bruins’ second overtime victory in their last three outings.

The initial moments of the contest were a defensive standstill as neither team recorded a shot until the 24th minute. After the first shot, UCLA started making more efforts towards goal.

In the 27th minute, the Bruin midfield of sophomore Dasia Torbert, graduate student Olivia Athens and Canales linked up in an offensive sequence. Torbert and Athens played a one-two before feeding Canales – who played in a more advanced position than usual against the Buffaloes – before her shot was blocked.

“Marley is our captain and one of our best engines on the field,” said associate head coach Sam Greene. “With Dasia playing so well, she can be a pivot, and Marley can go impact the game higher up the field – which today worked because she found herself closer to goal.”

Shortly after entering the game, freshman defender Quincy McMahon and redshirt senior forward Kennedy Faulknor connected for the team’s first goal. McMahon sent a low cross into the box for Faulknor to get a touch on, as the senior scored her second goal in as many games while putting the Bruins in the lead.

“We really needed a goal,” McMahon said. “We had so many opportunities, and we needed to put one away. We talked in pregame how important it was to get to the end line and get those crosses across to someone, so that was what I tried to do, was just look for someone.”

After not registering a shot on goal in the early moments of the match, Colorado tested senior goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy for the first time in the 59th minute. Shortly after, the Buffaloes broke through in the 74th minute on their third shot of the match. Midfielder Shanade Hopcroft – the Buffaloes’ leader in points – held the ball in the box with fancy footwork before passing to the top of the box, and a Colorado shot fell to the feet of forward Shyra James, who equalized the contest.

UCLA nearly immediately retook the lead when freshman defender Jayden Perry hit a left-footed curler in the 78th minute that beat the opposing goalkeeper but hit the crossbar and stayed out of the net.

As regulation was ending, McMahon sent multiple crosses into the box for Faulknor as she did to get the game’s opening goal, but Colorado denied the chance at a goal and the match headed to overtime.

After missing the first penalty of her collegiate career Thursday, Canales scored her second goal of the season to win it for the Bruins.

“The two 10-minute overtimes go by so fast, we look up and it’s already seven minutes in,” Canales said. “So we made sure to lock in and take advantage of every opportunity that we had offensively and focus defensively.”

UCLA returns to action Friday when it travels to Corvallis to play Oregon State.