With one minute to go in Friday’s UCLA women’s soccer game against No. 25 Washington State, disappointment began to hover over the 817 Bruin fans in Drake Stadium. The undefeated season and the nation’s longest home winning streak seemed to be quickly evaporating.
But the No. 3 Bruins remained resolute. In the 90th minute, junior forward Kristina Larsen found a hole in the Cougars’ defense and launched a goal. Junior forward Lauren Cheney received the cross and scored from close range, sending the game into sudden-death overtime.
“I said to them at halftime, if we continue to play and believe that we can win, it will happen for us,” coach Jillian Ellis said. “I thought it was very important for us that even into the last minute we still had the confidence ““ the passion to try and win the game and see if we can get to overtime.”
After neither team scored in the first 10 minutes of overtime, Larsen netted a goal in the 102nd minute to win the thriller for UCLA (11-0-2, 2-0-0 Pac-10) with a final score of 2-1. A Cougar defender had tried to rid UCLA defender Lauren Wilmoth the opportunity to score by clearing the ball. Larsen came in with her back to the goal as the Cougar defender struck the ball.
The clearance ricocheted off Larsen’s back and into the left corner of the goal.
“I actually was shocked ““ I didn’t even see it go in,” Larsen said. “It was amazing. The whole team just came in together. It was the heart of the team that brought us to the victory.”
While UCLA managed a win, Washington State (6-3-4. 0-1-1 Pac-10) was the first opponent in 10 games to whom UCLA allowed a goal.
In the fifth minute, Cougar goalkeeper Lindsay Parlee dished the ball to midfielder Elysse Van Leer. Van Leer then dribbled past the Bruin defense and shot the ball to the far post.
Parlee made 10 saves during the game.
The Bruins continued their dominance on Sunday with a 4-0 victory against Washington (9-4, 0-2).
Larsen played a part in three of those goals. In the 33rd minute, her shot hit the left post and went in off a Caitlyn Mac Kechnie assist. In the 82nd minute, Larsen sent a shot into the side of the goal from the right corner of the box, assisted by defender Lauren Barnes.
And in the first half, Larsen found freshman forward Sydney Leroux, who shot to the left corner of the goal in the 37th minute.
“I came off the bench, so I knew right when I had to go in, I had to jump-start the team, give us some more energy,” Larsen said. “Jill (Ellis) told us we needed more movement off the ball, so I tried to do that and the team was working for each other.”
Ellis acknowledged Larsen’s outstanding weekend.
“I think Larsen is coming off the bench and has just given us one: a spark; two: I think she’s playing with great confidence,” Ellis said.
“She’s just been a huge addition. Similar pattern to last year, she started off and gradually, as the season progresses, her confidence comes along, and she starts hitting the back of the net.”
NOTE:
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all the UCLA players wore pink uniforms at Drake Stadium on Sunday.