Rings have multiple meanings.

For some, they represent a promise. For others, a symbol of unity.

But for the Bruins – a ring is the standard.

And with another chance at hardware in sight, they have a shot to uphold their benchmark once again.

No. 3 seed UCLA women’s soccer (11-4-3, 6-2-3 Big Ten) is headed to Energizer Park in St. Louis to face No. 2 seed Michigan State (11-3-5, 7-1-3) Thursday afternoon after notching a 2-1 victory against Penn State on Saturday to punch its ticket to the Big Ten tournament semifinals.

The goal is simple for sophomore forward Jordan Geis.

“A ring for sure,” Geis said. “Our coaches, our coaching staff, this is their fourth year, and they’ve won a ring every year in some sort of way.”

The Bruins’ next test unfolds in unfamiliar territory, with their sights on hoisting a second consecutive Big Ten Tournament trophy. UCLA has yet to defeat any of the teams that remain in the tournament – tying against Michigan State and dropping one-score decisions to Wisconsin and Washington during the 2025 regular season.

Forward Kennedy Bell, the team’s top scorer with 10 goals across 19 matches, headlines the Spartans’ lineup. The Maryland transfer has extensive pitch experience, since she started in all 18 matches during her College Park tenure and played 1,545 total minutes across her inaugural collegiate season – the third-most on the team.

Bell is one of the 12 new additions that constituted the 11th ranked recruiting class in the nation this year, according to TopDrawerSoccer.

Another transfer making an impact is midfielder Kayla Briggs, who assisted Bell in scoring the lone Spartan goal against the Bruins on Sept. 18. Briggs is tied with midfielders Bella Najera and Emerson Sargeant for second-most goals scored on the team at five apiece.

The last battle between the Bruins and the Spartans ended even.

But that draw did not break the Bruins. Senior forward America Frias said it sharpened them.

“Now, as the season has gone on – we found what works for us, worrying less about the other team and worrying more about our formation and what we do well,” Frias said. “And I think we found our strong suits.”

The Spartans have outshot their opponents 45 to 20 and average 2.37 goals per game across 19 matches this season. The Westwood bunch has notched just 1.17 goals per game while boasting a .455 on-goal clip and 279 combined shots.

But head coach Margueritte Aozasa said numbers do not reflect her team’s growth.

“We said at the beginning of season, ‘This was kind of a younger group, an inexperienced group,’” Aozasa said. “But we’re 20 games in now, and I think everyone’s playing with that confidence, and they just have such a better understanding of what we’re trying to do.”

And for a team once defined by inexperience, that confidence may have become its greatest weapon.