The postseason often evokes a sense of deja vu, as familiar trends, opponents and storylines reemerge year after year.

No. 3 seed UCLA women’s soccer (10-4-3, 6-2-3 Big Ten) may experience this feeling when it faces No. 6 seed Penn State (9-6-3, 5-4-2) Saturday in West Lafayette, Indiana, in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. The contest will be against the same squad UCLA bested by a 1-0 scoreline in last season’s quarterfinal game.

And the similarities don’t stop there.

The Bruins have retained a dominant defense this season, despite losing nearly all their 2024 defensive backline players to going pro. UCLA logged 12 regular-season shutouts this year – nearly matching its 13 from last season – while holding opponents to a nation-best 0.29 goals per game.

New connections and additions have fostered this success, with senior defender and TCU transfer Jennie Immethun anchoring the backline alongside returning sophomore Paloma Daubert.

“Me and Paloma have been working super well together since these last few games,” Immethun said. “It makes it a lot easier for me to be able to make any play that I can to try and help her too.”

But UCLA has struggled on the other side of the ball, averaging just 1.12 goals per contest – a drop from last season’s 1.42 clip – and recording 14.9 shots per game.

The squad failed to convert on its 19 opportunities in its scoreless tie against crosstown foe and No. 10 seed USC, despite multiple one-on-one goal chances. This trend mirrors what the Bruins have experienced throughout the season, failing to capitalize in the final third despite generating scoring windows.

However, previous shortcomings are irrelevant in postseason play. The Bruins are on a clean slate.

“I’m super confident,” Immethun said. “I think it’ll be a good restart, being able to start fresh. … Basically, we have no wins, no losses, no ties.”

Penn State enters the match with a steadier track record, holding a 0.500 win rate both at home and on the road – reflecting a team that is not defined by long-standing winning or losing streaks.

The Nittany Lions boast an efficient offense, having been shut out only twice this season. Their offensive arsenal also averages 1.89 goals per game and has netted 34 goals on 241 shots.

The Bruins will face up to three away games throughout the Big Ten tournament – first at Purdue in West Lafayette for the quarterfinal, followed by potential semifinal and final matchups at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri.

UCLA had a rocky season on the road in 2025, holding a 0.375 away win record compared to its 0.778 home clip. And injuries have compounded these inconsistencies.

Redshirt senior forward Lexi Wright sustained an ankle injury in the Nebraska match Oct. 19 that sidelined her against USC, impacting the Bruins’ ability to drive up the pitch and generate additional offensive opportunities.

“Something we learned definitely in the Big Ten tournament last year was just the impact it can have on us long term,” said coach Margueritte Aozasa. “So going into that, we’re going to try to get as healthy as possible, really focus on recovery, use as many players as we can, so that we’re well prepared.”

And UCLA has deep talent to use in the postseason.

Nine players have scored this season, 11 have recorded an assist and 15 have logged more than 500 minutes on the pitch.

“We’re a family,” said freshman forward Leena Powell. “Having belief in each other is such a big thing. And I have belief in every single one of these girls, so when they go in, I know they’re going to give their 100%.”

The Bruins have shown offensive improvement in recent weeks despite their conversion struggles, notching a season-high three goals in back-to-back matches against then-No. 5 Iowa and Nebraska.

UCLA will open its postseason campaign Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

“I think we’re finally peaking at a good time,” Immethun said. “It’s better to peak later than never.”