Bruins Conclude Season With Win at Bruin Classic

UCLA Club Sports

Bruins Conclude Season With Win at Bruin Classic

4/30/2019 12:44:00 PM

BY ADRIANA CONTE
UCLA Club Sports Beat Writer

The Bruins proved their dominance on their home turf this weekend.

UCLA women's club soccer concluded the season with a win at the annual Bruin Classic Tournament. These games marked the last for the Bruin seniors, who were recognized for their contributions to the team at the end of the tournament.

"Winning the tournament was really meaningful for the team because not only was it at home, but it was also our last one of the season," said defender Riley Segal. "So we got to send our seniors off on a high note."

The Bruins kicked off the tournament on Saturday facing the Oregon Ducks. UCLA came out strong, netting three goals in the first half that withstood the game to seal the 3-0 victory.

The Bruins returned to the field only a few hours later to take on the California Bears. Despite an early goal from right winger Reilly Johnson, the Bears responded with two goals of their own in the first half to put UCLA down by one. The Bruins could not find the back of the net in the second half and concluded the day with this 2-1 defeat.

"Cal was really good at controlling the middle of the field and finding their offensive players to attack," Segal said. "There were points in the game where we had trouble keeping possession and it felt like we were constantly defending because they were giving high pressure."

UCLA returned Sunday to face Santa Barbara. Forward Stella Fontus said that the Gauchos are the Bruins' rival team, and the tone for the game would therefore be very high-paced.

"The Santa Barbara game turned out to be a showdown like always," Fontus said. "But in this game, we dominated possession and capitalized on opportunities."

UCLA took the early lead off of an offensive combination and goal from center midfielder Jessica Jara. It did not allow Santa Barbara to respond for the remainder of the game, netting another goal from center midfielder Jennie Fox off a corner kick play to shutout the Gauchos 2-0.

The Bruins advanced to the finals, where they once again faced Cal. Unlike the first time they faced the Bears, UCLA controlled the speed of play through quick transitions and counter-attack plays. But Cal was able to take advantage of its offensive opportunities, finding the back of the net for the first goal of the game.

"Cal responded with a good goal that caught us off guard," Fontus said. "But we clearly dominated the game by keeping the ball and combining as a team."

The Bruins did not let the Cal goal stop their momentum. Sophomore winger Isabel Jabara beat two Cal defenders off of a Bruin offensive attack and scored to tie the game at one. They continued their offensive momentum by getting the ball back upfield to allow for a corner kick opportunity, where right outside defender Kaylee Craft's curling kick found its way in the back of the net to seal the Bruin victory.

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