A team cannot always control its ultimate destiny.
But these are moments when the competitive spirit only becomes more important.
No. 10 UCLA women’s soccer (10-4-2, 7-2-1 Big Ten) will face off against Nebraska (3-3-10, 1-2-7) on Sunday in Lincoln.

The loss of starting goalkeeper Daphne Nakfoor to injury amid arguably the most important part of the conference slate could have derailed the Bruins’ dominant season.

This post was updated Oct. 15 at 10:40 p.m.
Blue-ribboned medals adorning players’ necks, monogrammed hats atop carefully chosen gameday hairstyles and a glass and metallic trophy lifted into the air.

This post was updated Oct. 13 at 10:35 p.m.
To be flexible involves bending but not breaking.
The Bruins may have bent a little when they lost their shutout streak, but they did not break, recording a season-high 24 shots to earn the victory.

One small moment can sully an otherwise stellar outing.
Unfortunately for the Bruins, an injury to their star goalkeeper did just that.
No. 10 UCLA women’s soccer (9-3-1, 6-1 Big Ten) defeated Indiana (4-8-1, 1-6 Big Ten) 5-0 at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Thursday for its fifth-straight Big Ten win.

This post was updated Oct. 4 at 10:35 p.m.
Every penalty kick brings nerves.
But a penalty kick in the 89th minute comes with the added burden that it could be the team’s last opportunity on net.

This post was updated Oct. 2 at 8:47 p.m.
A curving cross flies into the box, seemingly heading directly toward Terrapin defender/midfielder Mia Mitchell.
But then comes forward Oruha Hayashi, brushing shoulders with Mitchell as she jumps through the air to head the incoming ball towards the goal.