NCAA Tournament: Bruins dominate first rounds of tournament

After sitting out of UCLA’s 3-0 first-round win over Cal State Fullerton, sophomore Lauren Cheney was eager to get back on the field for the Bruins’ second-round game of the NCAA Championships against Oklahoma State.

Cheney made her presence felt within a matter of minutes in her team’s 4-0 win, putting the Bruins up 1-0 in the fifth minute after junior midfielder Christina DiMartino found her open in the box.

“I was just excited to be back with the team,” Cheney said. “It was hard to watch from the sidelines.”

From there though, UCLA coach Jill Ellis felt that her squad let the Cowgirls stick around, as the Bruins did in the first round against the Titans after going up 2-0 within the opening 10 minutes.

One of the Cowgirls’ two shots of the first half came in the final two minutes of the period. It was deflected off the post after passing senior goalkeeper Valerie Henderson.

The Bruins’ stagnant play after early goals became a concern for Ellis, and she was sure to address the issue with her team.

“We have a tendency to get an early goal and just sit back a little bit,” Ellis said. “We talked about being more aggressive at halftime.”

The talk at the break definitely got across to the Bruins, as senior Danesha Adams wasted no time putting the team up by two goals, scoring 54 seconds into the second half on a well-struck ball from just outside the box on a pass from Cheney. With the assist, Cheney tied the UCLA single-season points record at 52 points.

“They responded and they did well,” Ellis said of her team. “That’s a back-breaker to score that second goal so early because it makes it an upfield battle for the opponent.”

After going down two goals, Oklahoma State was forced to spread the field, which ultimately led to UCLA’s athleticism getting the best of them, and leading to frustration on the Cowgirls’ end.

The Bruins continued to dominate, outshooting their opponent 20-5 and maintaining good possessions for much of the game.

While Cheney was sidelined for Friday night’s game against Cal State Fullerton, sophomore Kristina Larsen stepped up to fill her role and contributed an early goal against the Titans.

Yet again, Larsen was able to find the back of the net, albeit coming off the bench, against Oklahoma State.

In the 65th minute, Larsen received a pass from DiMartino and turned and shot with her left foot, sending the ball past OSU goalkeeper Erin Stigler for the Bruins’ third goal of the afternoon.

“We need it,” Ellis said of Larsen’s contribution. “I think she’s excited and her confidence is good. I’m very pleased with how she’s doing.”

And just five minutes later, it was Larsen’s strong effort in the box before being taken down to the ground that led to an Adams penalty kick for UCLA’s fourth and final goal.

Although she was successful as a starter, Larsen has been an even greater threat when entering the game with fresh legs to relieve one of her teammates, which allows for Cheney to do what she does to contribute to the team.

“She creates a lot of chances and opens up a lot of opportunities for the rest of the team,” Ellis said of her star forward.

“We got it done without her on Friday, but we were kind of lost a little in terms of her being able to connect passes and the attitude that she brings on the field,” Adams added.

With the pair of victories, UCLA will play host to No. 7 Virginia on Friday, a team that will provide a challenge for the Bruins.

Adams feels that they will need to continue to do what they have done in the first two games of the tournament in order to come out with a positive result.

“I think for us, the biggest thing is to start early and go out with a bang,” she said.

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