Momentum can shift in the blink of an eye.

And during the Bruins’ most recent matchup, it did just that.

No. 17 UCLA men’s soccer (2-0-1) defeated Denver (0-2-1) 3-0 at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Friday. After breaking into the 2026 rankings a few days prior, the Bruins showcased how they received their spot by taking down the Pioneers.

Attack efforts from the Bruins began unsuccessfully, as they failed to finish crosses and convert corner kicks. Through the match, UCLA had 19 shots compared to Denver’s five, with the former getting nine on frame to the latter’s two.

In the 28th minute, the Bruins had a chance to score their third goal off a corner kick in as many games. Sophomore midfielder Adrian Aguilar sent in the corner and it rattled off Bruin players and into the back of the goal before being called back for a UCLA foul.

A cross from junior defender Shakir Nixon in the 44th minute slid through Denver’s backline, making it through to the backpost. And junior midfielder Tamir Ratoviz, who entered the game minutes prior, saw his chance.

Sending the ball into the back of the net – with a deflection off a Pioneer defender – Ratoviz recorded his first goal for UCLA since the 2024 season after recovering from an injury that cut his 2025 season short.

“That goal is just the culmination of all the hard work that he put in to come back,” Nixon said. “And everyone knows that he’s a quality player. He’s one of the most talented players on our team. So I’m just extremely happy.”

The Bruins seemed to have caught their stride.

Denver came out swinging in the 58th minute, with a shot from defender Ryan Mackay flying towards goal, forcing sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Tiltack to make a diving save. Tiltack recorded two saves in the match, matching his combined saves through the first two games.

Ratoviz came close to doubling the Bruins lead in the 69th minute, with a shot to the left side being saved out of bounds by goalkeeper Alex Hohl, who recorded six total saves.

But the Pioneers were not out of trouble yet.

Quickly after UCLA played in the corner kick from Hohl’s save, a foul inside the 18-yard box set up a penalty kick. After a VAR review, the call was confirmed and Nixon – who drew the foul – stepped up.

Nixon sent Hohl diving to the left while the ball went to the right, allowing the Bruins to double their lead, a goal punctuated by Nixon’s backflip celebration.

“The last one (goal) I scored was actually my freshman year, and I did a backflip after that one,” Nixon said. “And after the goal, I hadn’t had anything planned, but I wanted to do the same thing I did last time. I remembered it kind of last second, and then I just went for it because I know it’s pretty easy for me since I’ve done it before.”

And with the flip, coach Ryan Jorden’s squad was in full attack mode.

In the 73rd minute – three minutes after Nixon’s goal – UCLA almost made its way back to the penalty spot off a possible handball off a Denver defender. But this time, VAR review determined that it was instead a Denver throw-in.

The Bruins’ seventh corner of the night – the squad finished with nine to Denver’s one – marked the third goal off the set piece in as many games, with fifth-year forward Diego Castano volleying the ball into the back of the net in his debut in the blue-and-gold.

The goal was also the fourth scored by a player who entered the game off the bench this season, a testament to the depth on the UCLA squad.

“He (coach Jorden) told us that everybody on this team has an equal role, whether you’re on the bench or not, whether you come onto the field in the game or not,” Tiltack said. “Everybody’s on the same page – when they get on the field, it’s their job to do the same job that the starter did, and we expect them to do it at the same level that that starter did because we’re all at UCLA for a reason, and we’re all great players.”

Last season, it took Jorden’s squad seven games to reach the six goal mark. This year, they reached it in just three.

With 52 shots and 22 on frame so far in the 2026 season, the attacking process of the squad is looking to emulate the end of the 2025 UCLA season, when they scored 21 goals in six games.

“The group last year had a little bit more youthfulness to it, and getting that group together just took a little bit longer,” Jorden said. “This group is a little bit more mature, a little bit more ready to play at a level that can go across the country to a UVA team who’s going to be very very good and get a result, to beat a Denver team tonight that will win a lot of games.”