UCLA women’s soccer seeks to lengthen win streak in Cal Poly away game
Senior defender Quincy McMahon leans backwards as she kicks to propel the ball forward. McMahon is the first ever player to win Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors four times in one year during the 2023 season. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Rahaf Abumansour
Aug. 21, 2024 4:00 p.m.
A familiar foe lies between the Bruins and a further-extended win streak.
UCLA women’s soccer (2-0) is set to face Cal Poly (0-1-1) in its second away game of the season, with kickoff scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m.
Though not a Big Ten opponent, Cal Poly, with a 10-8-3 record in 2023, is known for bringing the energy to every match. Coach Margueritte Aozasa said preparation for Thursday’s challenge is key.
“Cal Poly does a really good job,” Aozasa said. “It’s often a tough place to play – they draw a great crowd, so I’m excited for that. I think it’s going to be a very good challenge.”
In the 2023 match between the two teams, the Bruins took a 1-0 lead into halftime after a goal from graduate student forward Ally Cook. The Bruins attempted 11 shots while the Mustangs were held shotless as UCLA walked away with a 2-1 victory, scoring the winning goal in the final two minutes.
Following its 3-0 win against UC Riverside on Sunday, UCLA is focused on fine-tuning its performance. Despite back-to-back shutout wins to open the Bruins’ season, Aozasa said there’s still work to be done ahead of Thursday’s match against the Mustangs.
“We’re nowhere close to that (being a successful team) right now,” Aozasa said. “Just having that foresight, it’s gonna be really key to us continuing to get better, and pushing the tempo and training.”
An early-season setback has left freshman forward Bella Winn on crutches, after Winn scored the Bruin’s second goal against the Highlanders and got injured towards the end of UCLA’s match against UC Riverside.
“We just try to look at the bright side,” said junior forward Bridgette Marin-Valencia. “We can’t really control much of what happened, so instead of freaking out with that one play, we know we got one down, let’s pick it up for her.”
UCLA holds the No. 6 spot in the national coaches poll and the No. 4 spot in the Big Ten conference behind Oregon and Illinois – teams the Bruins are scheduled to battle in its inaugural Big Ten season.
“We want to be even cleaner defensively and more organized,” Aozasa said. “I think that’s where we still have room to grow. We’re creating a lot of great chances, but now we have to finish them.”
