Late header mirrors 2022 championship, secures win for women’s soccer over ASU

This post was updated Oct. 24 at 10:56 p.m.

Ally Lemos lined up at the corner with the clock ticking down and the chance to change the game.

The sophomore midfielder kicked the ball sailing to the goal area – meeting the head of none other than senior forward Reilyn Turner, who forced a goal in the 89th minute to win the match.

Bruin fans have seen this film before, and they liked the ending.

“It is like a flashback of the national championship,” Turner said.

No. 2 UCLA women’s soccer (14-1, 8-0 Pac-12) ultimately pulled away from No. 24 Arizona State (10-3-4, 5-2-1) in a 1-0 victory in Tempe on Sunday with a last-minute play mirroring its 2022 national championship comeback. Lemos lined up at the same corner in North Carolina and assisted Turner in a header that tied the national championship final with less than a minute left on the clock – setting up a comeback that ultimately earned the Bruins the 2022 NCAA title.

[Related: UCLA women’s soccer conquers North Carolina for national championship No. 120]

Lemos, who was nominated for an ESPY for her assist last year, said it took a team effort to pull off the late game winner.

“The resiliency to score in the last minute of the game – none of us that happens if everyone isn’t focused,” Lemos said.

But for the 88 minutes prior to the go-ahead goal, Sun Devil Soccer Stadium stood silent.

UCLA notched 23 total shots, but no others resulted in a change on the scoreboard.

The Bruins represent one of two ranked teams that have yet to concede a tie this season.

“We’re just not content with tying,” Turner said. “We always push for a win. We always push for more for ourselves.”

Twice, however, the Bruins had found the back of the net with no goal called – once due to an offsides ruling and the second following a foul inside the goalkeeper’s box on a corner.

Coach Margueritte Aozasa said that moving forward, UCLA will try to make its shots distinguishable.

“Typically when goals get called back, it shows that we’re putting them under a lot of pressure,” Aozasa said.

Sunday’s narrow win followed four straight games in which the Bruins earned at least four goals. Aozasa said this difference was a testament to the Sun Devils’ strength.

In addition to testing a top-two program in UCLA, Arizona State defeated No. 11 USC on Thursday.

“Their staff’s one of the most well-respected staffs in our conferences,” Aozasa said. “And for good reason. They’re always very well prepared.”

Aozasa added that the Bruins had yet to face a team that has forced them to chase results as the Sun Devils did.

Lemos echoed her coach’s sentiments and said the challenge was important ahead of UCLA’s upcoming matchups.

“It was like a playoff game,” Lemos said. “I think games like this just help us get prepared for what we’re going to see in the tournament, or even against Stanford, USC, Cal.”