While most of Los Angeles sought out air conditioning, the Bruins turned up the heat.

And sure enough, the Boilermakers melted under the pressure at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.

No. 16 UCLA women’s soccer (4-2-1, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated Purdue (6-1-1, 0-1) 2-1 Thursday evening to open conference play.

From the first minute, the Bruin forwards pressed high against the Boilermaker backline.

“Our high press is something that we really hone in on,” said junior forward Kara Croone. “Pressing them forces them to make decisions quicker than they want to, which helps us get the ball again and go at them again.”

Just like that, UCLA struck first, and its high-pressing tactics paid off when Croone won a throw-in after a rushed pass from a Purdue defender.

Following the inbound, a shot from Croone was blocked, and the ball fell to midfielder Grace Shank’s feet. The sophomore controlled the ball, feinted past a Boilermaker defender and rocketed a left-footed shot that earned a deflection on its way past the standstill goalkeeper to put the Bruins up 1-0 in the 18th minute.

“Getting on the scoreboard, that is always helpful for us to get the energy going and set the tone,” Shank said.

The early goal was just one of the Bruins’ many promising long-range chances in the first half. Freshman midfielder Thea Perry hit the crossbar and forced a diving save following two set pieces, and Shank nearly earned her second goal of the match on a narrowly saved free kick that deflected off the crossbar in the 32nd minute.

Shank, who became one of the team’s captains this season, now has two goals and two assists in 2026, both figures already eclipsing her freshman year numbers. She has also scored in back-to-back games, with two goals that showcased her ability to dribble past defenders before burying a shot.

“That is why she is team captain as a sophomore,” said coach Gof Boyoko. “Right now, she has impacted the game, and she is in top shape, so you cannot ask for more.”

Approaching halftime, Purdue managed just three shots to UCLA’s eight.

However, just before the break, a free kick lobbed into the Bruin box proved difficult for goalkeeper Lynette Bryant to deal with. The senior’s attempted punch clearance deflected the ball straight to Boilermaker forward Rosa Maalouf, who tapped the ball into the open net to pull her team level in the 44th minute.

Despite the last-minute setback, UCLA came out of halftime with intensity.

Within minutes, freshman defender/midfielder Molly Hale, whose two second-half goals completed the 3-2 comeback at Santa Clara on Aug. 30, dribbled past a Purdue defender and was taken down inside the box, winning a penalty.

Croone stepped up to the spot, sent the keeper diving the wrong direction, drove the ball neatly into the bottom left corner and finished off with a celebratory dance in the corner for the go-ahead goal in the 49th minute.

The Brookhaven, Georgia, local now leads the Bruins with three goals on the season, joining Shank as a goalscorer in back-to-back games.

UCLA held on to its narrow lead for the remaining 41 minutes of the game, including a five-minute VAR review for a possible penalty in the Bruin box. That check resulted in no further action being taken, and in the end, the backline and Bryant, who finished with four saves, were up to the task.

Now with three consecutive wins under its belt, UCLA will face off against No. 5 Michigan State on Sunday, a team fresh off a 5-0 thrashing of UCLA’s crosstown rival, USC.

“The biggest part when you get to league is getting three points,” Boyoko said. “We can dissect it, we can talk about it, … but at the end of the day, the most important part is to get the win and then move on.”