UCLA men’s soccer secures spot in NCAA tournament following at-large bid

Members of UCLA men’s soccer celebrate with graduate student midfielder Edrey Caceres after he scores a free kick goal against then-No. 11 Loyola Marymount. In Monday’s selection show, the team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where it will play UC Santa Barbara at Wallis Annenberg Stadium Thursday at 7 p.m. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)
By Connor Dullinger
Nov. 18, 2024 11:33 a.m.
This post was updated Nov. 20 at 12:29 p.m.
All hope seemed lost when UCLA fell short of the Big Ten tournament.
But sometimes second chances are given.
Despite falling 4-2 in the Big Ten semifinals on penalty kicks to No. 7 seed Michigan, UCLA men’s soccer (7-5-6, 3-4-3 Big Ten) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and are set to face UC Santa Barbara (11-5-4, 4-2-3 Big West) on Thursday in the first round. While the Bruins don’t boast the most prolific record, they have proven time and again that they can compete with the best teams in the country.
Before succumbing to Michigan, UCLA beat No. 2 seed Maryland in the Big Ten quarterfinal 6-0, handing the Terrapins their biggest loss in over 40 years. During the regular season, the Bruins came toe-to-toe with 10 ranked opponents, and the Ryan Jorden-led squad won four, drew four, and lost two of these affairs.
UCLA will commence its tournament run at home. If the Bruins are victorious, they will most likely play all of their NCAA tournament fixtures away from Wallis Annenberg Stadium until the semifinals.
The Bruins will face the Gauchos and pursue their first national title since 2002, where a Tom Fitzgerald-led squad took down Stanford 1-0 in UCLA’s fourth national championship victory. UCLA last faced UCSB in the first round of the 2021 NCAA tournament, where the Bruins claimed a 2-1 victory in double overtime at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
If UCLA can take down UCSB at home, it will travel up north to Palo Alto, California, to face No. 16 seed and former conference rival Stanford. If the Bruins can win back-to-back NCAA tournament fixtures, they will most likely travel to the Midwest to face No. 1 seed Ohio State. The Bruins defeated the Buckeyes in Westwood by a score of 2-1 when the two last met Oct. 11.
“Beating somebody, beating an NCAA tournament team six (to) nil. That’s a big accomplishment, and I think we have now put down a statement of what we’re capable of,” Jorden said.
The Bruins will enter the 2024 national tournament following a 2023 season where they were upset 1-0 by Loyola Marymount in the first round.
This year, UCLA will begin its journey for the program’s fifth national championship Thursday at 7 p.m. at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.