A team’s hunger is no exaggeration.

And when a conference title is on the line, it’s time to flip the switch.

“We’re really, really hungry to get a trophy,” said freshman defender Nicki Fraser. “We got to keep that in the back of our mind – that the job isn’t over yet.”

No. 2 seeded UCLA women’s soccer (15-3-3, 8-1-2 Big Ten) is set to face No. 5 seeded Rutgers (11-3-5, 6-2-3) for a final showdown at CITYPARK in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday.

On Thursday, the Rutgers vs. USC matchup headed into overtime after a draw of 1-1 at the 90-minute mark. After no avail in overtime, the match reached penalty kicks, ending in 3-0 at the end of the period in the Scarlet Knights favor for the team to notch a victory to upset No. 1 seeded USC, knocking the top-gun out of the title race.

Coach Margueritte Aozasa said that a final matchup against Rutgers will have its own set of challenges that UCLA will have to face.

“Rutgers is a very competitive team,” Aozasa said. “They’re very greedy, combative – we’re going to have to be able to match that intensity.”

Sunday’s matchup between the Bruins and Scarlet Knights will mark the first time the two opponents have met in 13 years. Their last matchup resulted in a 1-0 shutout from the Bruins at the North Athletic Field. However, the two opposing teams have never faced off in conference play.

Headed into the final, senior defender Ayo Oke said unfamiliarity presents a new challenge ahead for the team. Oke scored the team’s second goal in the semifinal against Washington after recently returning from injury.

“We’ve never played Rutgers before. That will be a challenge in itself,” Oke said. “Being in the final is a nerve wracking thing – having to calm our nerves and play our game – it’ll be a challenge as well.”

Leading the Scarlett Knights in goals is forward Ashley Baran at six with forward Riley Tiernan, midfielder Shaela Bradley and midfielder Allie Post following right behind with four goals apiece.

But the player that the Bruins’ defense has to keep an eye out for isn’t necessarily on the pitch. On Thursday, goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer saved seven shots against the Trojans gauntlet. The goalkeeper also tallied a total of 67 saves at a 0.827 save percentage in her second season.

With Sunday’s match just around the corner, the clash also has title opportunities on the line – one where the Bruins can capture their first conference tournament title in program history.

Oke said that despite the uncertainty of what lies ahead, trust in adversity will prevail.

“If we play our soccer and trust each other, we can do anything and we can win,” Oke said. “We’re going to trust our soccer and the tactics that the coaches give us. We’ll get the results that we want.”