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UCLA women’s soccer clinches victory over UCF with tiebreaker penalty kicks

Senior midfielder Jackie Gilday guides the ball down the field. Gilday scored the equalizing goal in the Bruins’ victory Friday in their victory against UCF in the second round of the NCAA tournament. (Eden Yu/Daily Bruin)

Women’s soccer


UCF1
No. 1 UCLA1 (PKs)

By Cecilia Schmitz

Nov. 18, 2022 11:00 p.m.

On a brisk November night in Westwood, UCLA and UCF women’s soccer both brought the heat.

In the second round of the NCAA tournament, No.1 seed UCLA (18-2-1) ultimately defeated UCF (9-2-7) at Wallis Annenberg Stadium, taking the Bruins to the third round of the NCAA tournament.

Clad in compression gear and hand gloves to fight the cold, the stakes were on the table right out of the gate: win, or be eliminated and lose a shot at the NCAA championship. The two teams put offensive force on the other throughout the contest, going toe to toe with a series of runs saved in the knick of time by their respective defenses.

Graduate student goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy tipped a shot barely over the goal in the fifth minute and minutes later caught another volley by UCF to maintain the tied 0-0 score. 

Junior forward Reilyn Turner and sophomore forward Lexi Wright both made multiple attempts on goal throughout the first frame, with Wright going head-to-head with a defender before she was ultimately blocked. 

In the 35th minute, UCF was the first to capitalize. Forward Dayana Martin broke past Brzykcy to find the back of the net, bringing the score to 1-0 in favor of the Knights. This was the Bruins’ first time trailing since their Nov. 4 loss to USC to end their Pac-12 season. 

Brzykcy said faith in her teammates was key when responding to the first goal that was scored.

“I just trust my team, and we trust each other,” Brzykcy said. “We just know we will get the next one sooner or later.”

Unlike its defeat to the Trojans, the blue and gold were quick to respond, with senior midfielder Jackie Gilday equalizing the score in the 38th minute after being subbed in only three minutes prior. 

Gilday highlighted the pressure of the game in scoring so quickly. 

“I came in, and there’s only so many minutes left in the half, we’re down one goal, what can we do to get it tied before the half?” Gilday said. “ We had a set piece, we were working on them, and I was like, ‘I’m going to go for it.’”

This was Gilday’s second career goal after missing nearly all of the 2021 campaign and the entirety of the 2020 season as a result of injury.

Gilday emphasized how meaningful it was to play a key role in high-stakes games.

“It’s been the best experience ever being back, being able to contribute to the team,” Gilday said. “It’s the best group of girls, so I’m just honored to be able to play with such a close-knit group of people.”

UCLA and UCF continued collecting chances against each other in the second half, with the two teams possessing 20 and 14 shots on goal, respectively.

However, as the whistle blew on the 90th minute, the score remained all tied up, sending the two teams into overtime.

Sophomore defender Lilly Reale launches the ball in front of her. Reale scored the Bruins third goal during penalty kicks. (Christine Kao/Daily Bruin staff)

Coach Margueritte Aozasa said while preparing the team for its first overtime of the season, she stressed the team’s bond.

“We talk a lot about our team cohesiveness. We also talk a lot about how much fun we have as a group,” Aozasa said. “We were like, ‘Play with a smile, enjoy it, we get to do this.’”

After two overtimes, the score remained 1-1, bringing the match into penalty kicks. 

Brzykcy went up to bat to defend for the Bruins, blocking the first shot. UCF’s second and third attempts missed the goal, hitting the woodwork. 

Brzykcy acknowledged the team’s preparation as a reason for being able to take on the challenge of defending the penalty kicks.

“We’ve just trained so much for this moment,” Brzykcy said.  “And we just knew if it came to it, we would bury it, do my job, and we’ll get the W.”

Sophomore defender Jayden Perry made the Bruins’ first goal, followed by a second goal from senior midfielder/forward Sunshine Fontes. Sophomore defender Lilly Reale sealed the deal on the blue and gold’s third shot, catapulting the Bruins to the next round of the NCAA tournament.

Gilday said the team’s trust helped morale during the shootout.

“I had full faith in my teammates,” Gilday said. “Despite the stress of it, I was fully confident that they were going to put it away.”

UCLA will take on Northwestern in the round of sixteen Sunday at 6 p.m.

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Cecilia Schmitz | Assistant Sports editor
Schmitz is a 2023-2024 assistant Sports editor on the women’s soccer, beach volleyball, women’s golf and cross country beats. She was previously a contributor on the women’s soccer and beach volleyball beats and a staffer for the Outreach section. She is also a third-year political science and communication student.
Schmitz is a 2023-2024 assistant Sports editor on the women’s soccer, beach volleyball, women’s golf and cross country beats. She was previously a contributor on the women’s soccer and beach volleyball beats and a staffer for the Outreach section. She is also a third-year political science and communication student.
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