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No. 2 seed UCLA women’s soccer falls to UC Irvine in 1st round of NCAA tournament

No. 2 seed UCLA women’s soccer was upset by UC Irvine in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday. The loss snapped a 26-match unbeaten streak for the Bruins dating back to last season. (Marc-Anthony Rosas/Daily Bruin)

Women’s soccer


UC Irvine1
No. 2 seed UCLA0

By Diego Farinha

Nov. 12, 2021 8:27 p.m.

This post was updated Nov. 14 at 11:49 p.m.

The Bruins are one and done. 

No. 2 seed UCLA (16-1-3, 8-0-3 Pac-12) was upset 1-0 by UC Irvine (18-5, 8-2 Big West), ending its tournament run in the first round. After opening their campaign with a 3-1 victory over the Anteaters on Aug. 19, the Bruins were unable to complete the double over their UC rival, snapping their 26-game unbeaten streak dating back to last season.

“This is never the way we wanted it to end,” said junior defender Brianne Riley. “We had a lot of chances in the second half. We wanted it and it just didn’t come. It’s unfortunate and we’re heartbroken right now.”

As they did to start the postseason a season ago, the Bruins found themselves trailing early.

Last tournament, the late-game heroics of sophomore forward Reilyn Turner nullified a sixth-minute Iowa goal in the second round of the NCAA tournament and UCLA managed to advance. This year, a 14th-minute goal from UC Irvine went unanswered. 

“We started slow and they scored a nice goal,” said coach Amanda Cromwell. “(In) tournament time, anyone can hurt you. … I’m so heartbroken for our seniors especially.”

After an Anteater cross to the back post found Destinee Manzo, the midfielder/forward’s cross located the run of forward Alyssa Moore in the box and her header entered the back of the net handing the Bruins its second deficit of the year. 

Irvine nearly doubled its lead in the 23rd minute on midfielder Scarlett Camberos’s long-distance effort, but the shot went high and wide of the post. 

Following the Anteater goal, the Bruins increased their attacking presence, recording five shots in the 31 minutes after conceding. 

With seconds remaining in the first period, graduate student midfielder Marley Canales’ set-piece delivery from near half field rang the crossbar before a scramble ensued in front of goal. Riley’s impromptu header in front of goal was blocked by multiple defenders, and the ball exited play. 

Heading into the half, the Bruins outshot their UC opponents six to three but remained scoreless. 

“We always know we have the ability to come back and win the game,” Riley said. “ We were giving it our all and obviously it just didn’t come.”

Coming out of the break, freshman defender Jayden Perry joined the backline as the team transitioned to three center backs, solidifying the defense with the two wing backs joining the attack.

“We just needed something different and we needed width,” Cromwell said. “They were clogging up the middle and we weren’t using the width enough so I think having the wide midfielders and then the two front is pretty dangerous. … I told the girls maybe I should have done that sooner in the first half.”

Perry quickly contributed, putting Turner in on goal with a diagonal ball, but the forward’s attempt couldn’t even the score. 

In the 58th minute, a connection between the wing backs nearly equalized it for the Bruins. A cross from freshman defender Quincy McMahon on the right flank found redshirt junior midfielder Madelyn Desiano waiting at the back post. Desiano’s volley was headed for the top left corner until a last-second save from goalkeeper Glo Hinojosa denied the scoring opportunity. 

UCLA continued to be inches away from a goal as it hit the woodwork in successive minutes. For the second time in the evening, Canales hit the post – this time on a long-range shot from beyond the 18-yard box. One minute later, her midfielder partner, graduate student Olivia Athens, struck the crossbar on a curling effort. 

Another Hinojosa diving save on a shot from freshman forward Lexi Wright in the 81st minute kept the clean sheet going for the Anteaters.

“I never doubt this team is going to score so I felt confident, but then you get down to the last minute then you’re like, ‘What the frick,’” Cromwell said. “It’s the game of soccer – if this was a basketball game, the second half, we probably would have won by 20. But it’s a whole different game.”

UCLA ended the 90 minutes with 19 shots to Irvine’s four but was unable to get on the scoresheet for only the second time in the past two seasons. 

“The crossbar had a great game,” Cromwell said.

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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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