Last season, the Bruins entered Big Ten play without a win.

This time, they’re looking to enter it undefeated.

No. 12 UCLA men’s soccer (2-0-2) faces Omaha (2-0-2) at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Sunday in its final tuneup before Big Ten play. Both squads are looking to continue their undefeated records.

Omaha is entering the matchup off a 1-1 tie against Utah Valley but has scored four goals in two games so far this season. Seven different Mavericks have gotten on the score sheet, with two recording a pair each.

One such player is midfielder Brett Perkins, who has scored a goal in each of Omaha’s two most recent matchups. Perkins has only taken two shots all season, proving his efficiency in strikes.

Midfielder Amari Fowlkes netted a goal in both of the Mavericks’ four-goal outings. With just three shots total – all on frame – Fowlkes is also efficient at finding the back of the net. Both Perkins and Fowlkes have also recorded one assist through the season, making them two of the six players to have an assist to begin the 2026 campaign.

UCLA is entering off a back-and-forth battle against California that ended in a 2-2 draw.

The Golden Bears made the first move before the Bruins tied it up and eventually took the lead. An equalizer in the final minute pushed the game into a draw. Both UCLA goals came in the second half of play after a slower first-half performance.

“We had a good second half up until maybe the last 10 minutes, where I think a lot of us, including myself, we lost a bit of focus and the small details,” said junior defender Shakir Nixon. “So we ended up with the tie instead of a win. So overall, a decent performance, but it’s not what we wanted on the road.”

Six of UCLA’s eight goals have come in the second half, with two games holding two goals in the second frame of play.

Coach Ryan Jorden’s squad has also shown its perseverance through the season, coming from behind in both of its draws and scoring a game-winner in the 81st minute against then-No. 11 Virginia to take the lead back.

With a variety of scorers, UCLA is a threat from everywhere on the field.

Nixon is the only Bruin to have recorded multiple goals, scoring one in each of the past two games, in addition to an assist. Six other players donning the blue and gold have gotten on the score sheet, with two of those players also holding an assist to their name.

Philip Naef – last season’s assist leader with 11 – got his name in the stats in the game against Cal. The senior midfielder assisted both goals, his first two of the season. Sophomore midfielder Adrian Aguilar, the Bruins’ designated corner kick-taker, also has two assists.

UCLA’s defense has also held strong through the season, allowing just 12 shots on goal, with sophomore goalkeeper Ryan Tiltack recording eight saves. Half of both saves and opponent shots on goal came in the matchup against Cal.

“The only pressure is wanting to work for the team and being the best I can every day,” Tiltack said after UCLA’s 3-0 win against Denver. “This clean sheet is really helpful for me in the back line, especially getting that out of the way and knowing that we can achieve that. So it was definitely a big win and a big result.”

With just one game remaining before conference play begins, Jorden’s squad is looking to capture a third win on the season and its second at home.

The undefeated season hangs in jeopardy, but Jorden said he feels confident about his squad’s potential for improvement.

“The good part for our group is that they’re going to want to get better and get to a place where we don’t end up tying games that we should win,” Jorden said. “We’re excited about the process with this team, the progress that we’ve made to this point.”