On Friday night in Washington, the rain was pouring down but the goals weren’t.
With a constant battle between the two teams, all it took was one goal to change the course of the game.
The source of the goal was sophomore forward Rosie White.
With the 1-0 win over the Huskies, the Bruins notched their fifth game in which they have won by a margin of just one goal.
UCLA women’s soccer boasts a 12-0-2 record ““ they have yet to lose this season.
After a three-week road streak, the Bruins have improved their record with five more wins.
Although Washington is one of the better teams in the Pac-12, UCLA managed to shut down its every attempt.
“It really doesnt mean anything to us; I feel like our job is to look at our performance and each game and measure where we stand,” said coach B.J. Snow. “The wins have been great ““ five road wins is a huge accomplishment.”
Statistically, both teams looked similar ““ their shot and save counts were nearly equal, the exception being White’s goal.
It’s a common sports idiom that “the best offense is a good defense,” but UCLA’s style defies that.
The Bruins have tended to dominate possession on their side of the field, limiting their opponents’ chances by not giving them any in the first place.
“I think it’s a collective effort, our team defending, being able to keep and possess the ball,” Snow said.
“Our offense is our best defense; at this point it’s a combination of both of those. And I think that mentality of wanting a clean sheet is a big part.”
White scored at the tail end of the first half, netting her goal in the 44th minute.
Because of that, they had to play a strong second half to keep the ball away from their goal.
However, when it did get that close, sophomore Katelyn Rowland was a powerhouse in the goal, deflecting each attempt.
It has been group efforts like these that have enabled the Bruins to come through with close wins.
“I think we’ve played really well,” said sophomore midfielder Sam Mewis. “We’ve played well as a team.”
Even though the team tries not to focus too intently on their undefeated record, they accept that it is a huge accomplishment this far into the season.
“I think it gives us confidence going forward,” said senior defender Lucretia Lee.
“We have to keep that strength going forward; it’s huge to sit undefeated.”