This post was updated Sept. 25 11:56 p.m.
In front of a sold-out crowd, the Bruins started Pac-12 play with a bang.
No. 1 UCLA women’s soccer (9-0-0, 1-0-0 Pac-12) began its Pac-12 slate with a 4-2 victory over California (5-2-3, 0-1-0 Pac-12), marking the start of the Bruins’ quest for a third consecutive Pac-12 title.

Friday night lights are back at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
No. 1 UCLA women’s soccer (8-0) is set to take on California (5-1-3) on Friday at 8 p.m.

The Bruins already held a 3-0 lead at the hands of their top-three scorers with five minutes remaining.
Then, forward/midfielder MacKenzee Vance gathered the ball in her possession and, with no goalie in sight, headed for the goal.

UCLA flew to North Carolina as the No. 3 team in the country.
It left the Tar Heel State with wins over then-No. 2 Duke and then-No.

With less than five minutes left in the first half, the game was scoreless.
Then came the rookies.
Surging forward and making a powerful shot directly to the middle of the net, freshman forward/midfielder Ellie Walbruch put the Bruins on the scoreboard in the 41st minute, marking the first goal of her collegiate career.

Communication, scanning the field and taking note of weak spots – a goalkeeper’s job description is much more than diving through the air to protect the goal.

UCLA is coming off a 2021-2022 season in which none of its teams won a national championship for the first time since 2016-2017 and just the second time since 2002.