She sings, she passes and she scores. She can even play two different positions.
On a night at Drake Stadium when the Bruins bested the Arizona State Sun Devils 3-0, junior two-sport athlete Ally Courtnall, made it seem like there was nothing she couldn’t do.
“I think that we’re really happy with the outcome of this game. We knew we wanted to come out and really press them and we wanted to get some goals on the scoreboard, and we did exactly what we were preparing for,” Courtnall said.
After she sang the national anthem before the game, Courtnall, a defender who typically plays at right back, lined up as a right winger instead, as part of UCLA’s 3-5-2 formation – a more offense-centered formation than the 4-2-3-1 that the team more frequently runs.
Courtnall’s involvement in midfield paid off in the 17th minute, when a flick inside the box from senior midfielder Jenna Richmond found Courtnall, who took a shot with her first touch and put the Bruins up 1-0.
“The first-half goal was a great goal. Just the whole buildup, that’s what we tried to emphasize at halftime: just slowing the play sometimes, and don’t be so rushed to get forward,” said coach Amanda Cromwell.
Two other Bruin defenders were also called upon to play a larger offensive role in the 3-5-2 formation. Junior defender Abby Dahlkemper, who normally plays center back started at right back, while junior defender Caprice Dydasco started in midfield as a left winger instead of her usual left back position.
“I think it was just to try something new, just different situations in the game we have to be prepared for, so we just thought it’d be a good chance to try something new,” Dydasco said about the 3-5-2 formation.
The Bruins resumed the second half in their regular 4-2-3-1 formation, with Courtnall, Dahlkemper and Dydasco all reverting to their regular defensive assignments.
UCLA scored again in the 52nd minute; Richmond notched another assist after she played a through ball to freshman forward Darian Jenkins, who chipped it past the Arizona State goalkeeper.
The final goal in the No. 2 Bruins’ (13-1-1, 5-0-1 Pac-12) win over the Sun Devils (8-6-0, 3-3-0) came in the 64th minute. Courtnall displayed yet another skill when she sent a cross in from the left to find redshirt sophomore forward Courtney Proctor, who fired in UCLA’s third goal.
Dahlkemper said that the Bruins’ being effective and getting a win while playing two different formations showed the team’s versatility and ability to play to the situation.
“It was definitely fun to have more attacking freedom as a right back. 3-5-2 just to change it up, it provides a lot more attack for the team,” Dahlkemper said. “We played both the 3-5-2 and the 4-2-3-1, and so it’s nice being able to play both formations against whatever team we play.”