Murphy’s Law says that anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

That proved true in the Bruins’ last matchup.

After opening the season with a five-game undefeated streak, UCLA men’s soccer (3-1-2, 0-1 Big Ten) fell to 3-1 to Big Ten foe Rutgers on Sept. 11. The game also marked the most goals the Bruins have conceded this season.

The Bruins will have a chance to start another winning streak Friday, when they continue conference play against their second Big Ten competitor, Michigan (2-2-1, 0-1), at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.

Not only did the Bruins drop their first conference game of the season last Friday, but they also left the pitch with a total of six yellow cards and one red card. Fifth-year defender Victor Ciaurriz was sent out of the game in the 74th minute.

“We committed nine total fouls in the game and had six yellow cards against us, which is a little bit of a head-scratcher,” coach Ryan Jorden said.

That performance also came with a recent change in lineup. Freshman goalkeeper Tristan Shaw replaced recurring sophomore Ryan Tiltack in the net.

Prior to the match against Rutgers, Shaw had only played the second half of the squad’s 2-1 win against Omaha on Sept. 6.

The Bruins have been fighting from behind to open the season, and the game against the Mavericks was no different, with UCLA scoring both their goals in the second half.

“After getting the first one, the group’s gonna do their thing,” said senior captain and defender Tre Wright. “It’s gonna work out. … So head down and go get the second one. Once you get the first one, you’re confident in the second one. You have to keep working.”

But now, both the Bruins and the Wolverines are fighting to regain momentum after opening conference play with disappointing losses.

Michigan lost its second matchup in a row in its conference play debut, falling 1-0 to then-No. 5 Indiana on Sept. 11. And, much like the Bruins, the Wolverines found themselves in foul trouble – they received five yellow cards throughout the game against the Hoosiers.

The Wolverines are familiar foes to the Bruins, but the outcomes of their matchups have been uneven. While UCLA lost 3-0 to Michigan in conference play last season, it then came back to capture a 5-0 victory in a Big Ten championship rematch.

With both teams searching for redemption after their most recent matchups, the Bruins said they carry the same trust and confidence among one another into every game, no matter the setbacks.

“I think especially later on in the season, when it comes to the knockout games, even if it’s 89th minute, we know we will somehow score,” fifth-year forward Cameron Arnold said after UCLA’s match against Omaha. “I think coming back late is always a great trait to have in a team. It just shows we trust each other and we work relentlessly no matter what the result is at the time.”