One hundred and ten minutes of play boiled down to four penalty kicks. Just the shooter and goalkeeper – and a chance to stay alive for one more game.

The two shots that found the back of the net for the Bruins were not enough to make up for their two opening misses. And so the Cougars’ four clean penalty kicks gifted them another chance to take the field, while their opponent headed home to Westwood.

No. 9 UCLA women’s soccer will open its season Wednesday night at Wallis Annenberg Stadium against BYU – the same team that ended the former’s season last year in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

“There’s this little revenge piece to the game,” coach Gof Boyoko said. “But the most important thing is to approach the season the right way. It’s the first game out of hopefully many, and then we want to make sure we start the right way at home – protect our home.”

Wednesday is the start of a new chapter for the Bruins. The game marks the first official competition with Boyoko – who has spent the last four years on UCLA’s staff – at the helm.

The former associate head coach takes the lead following the departure of Margueritte Aozasa, who had held the position since 2022. Aozasa has since signed on as the head coach at Texas.

Boyoko got a taste of competition when UCLA suited up for an exhibition match against Loyola Marymount on Aug. 5. While the game will have no bearing on any official season records, it allowed the Bruins to gauge where they are at heading into the 2026 campaign.

The scrimmage, which ended in favor of UCLA, allowed the team to find its footing as one cohesive offensive and defensive unit while giving some players their first competitive touches in a while – most notably 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year junior defender Nicki Fraser, who sat out the entirety of last season because of an injury.

“It’s great to see a player like Nicki Fraser that’s been here coming back on the field after a long-term injury,” Boyoko said. “Super excited to have her, and then to see the new faces. (Senior forward) Olivia Woodson fought some of them. She scored a bunch of goals there, so we’re excited to see her leading our attack.”

Woodson is one of seven athletes coming to Westwood as part of a transfer class comprised of talent from around the country. The Chesterfield, Virginia, local was named to the Big Ten Players to Watch List alongside sophomores forward Leena Powell and midfielder Grace Shank.

BYU arrives in Westwood after its own unofficial start, having beaten Idaho State 5-1 in an exhibition match Saturday. The game, which was streamed on ESPN+, gave the Bruin coaching staff a chance to see the challenges this iteration of the Cougar squad presents.

Despite advancing to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament last year, just shy of a College Cup appearance, BYU did not earn a top-25 ranking entering this upcoming campaign.

The Bruins have won 15 of their last 16 season openers – a trend that would come with a side of revenge over the Cougars if it continues this time around.

But arguably more important for Boyoko, a win Wednesday would set a precedent for what environment awaits opponents at Wallis Annenberg Stadium – one the Bruins stand to uphold across their three-game opening series at home.

“At the end of the day, we just want to impose our style and make sure that people understand that coming here is a hard place,” Boyoko said. “It’s a hard place to compete and try to get the true point.”