The UCLA fans did their part on Friday, with a record 6,253 of them filing into Drake Stadium for the final match of the women’s soccer season.
The team did not, though, falling 2-0 to No. 14 USC to cap off the first losing season in nearly two decades and finish in eighth place in the Pac-12.
The Bruins (8-10-1, 4-6-1 Pac-12) produced several chances to score but ended the match with just one shot on goal – in the 51st minute when senior defender Belden Long’s shot from 12 yards out was tipped away by Trojan goalie Sammy Jo Prudhomme.
UCLA received a great opportunity early in the match when senior forward Kodi Lavrusky intercepted a USC goal kick. Lavrusky sent it to junior forward Darian Jenkins, who dribbled into the box and found fellow junior forward Amber Munerlyn for a shot attempt. But Munerlyn sent the shot just wide of the post.
In the 71st minute, redshirt senior forward Courtney Proctor drew a free kick about 25 yards from goal. Proctor, making her seventh start of the season, curved the ball towards the upper right corner but couldn’t find the target.
In a minute, USC completely changed the momentum.
Taking advantage of the Bruins’ constant attack, the Trojans produced a quick counter that resulted in the first of midfielder Morgan Andrews’ two goals. With the ball on the right of the box, midfielder Kayla Mills sent in a low cross that Andrews tapped in for an easy finish.
The Trojans’ second goal – in the 79th minute – was close to a replica of the first. This time, forward/midfielder Sydney Johnson notched the assist, sending a cross in to Andrews from almost the exact same spot as Mills had.
For a powerhouse program which has reached the NCAA semifinal nine times since 2000 and won the national title in 2013, the eighth-place conference finish is a far cry from recent successes.
It projected to be a tough season for UCLA, which lost nine starters from last year’s squad, seven of whom now play professionally.
A LOOK BACK: Women’s soccer season preview
The Bruins did retain some of the biggest scoring names from their 2013 championship run. Jenkins led the team that year in points and goals as a freshman, and senior forward Taylor Smith finished second in both categories as a sophomore. Of the 114 goals UCLA scored in the 2013-2014 seasons, 50 of them came from players on this year’s roster.
But even the best goal scorers need support, and the Bruins lost significant contributions in the midfield and defense.
Another 22 assists came from 2014 Pac-12 Player of the Year Sam Mewis, a midfielder who’s now a member of the U.S. National Team. The departed backline of Megan Oyster, Abby Dahlkemper, Caprice Dydasco and Ally Courtnall not only posted 34 clean sheets in the past two seasons, but also contributed 25 assists.
This year, an inexperienced back line registered just four clean sheets and seven assists, as coach Amanda Cromwell experimented with many different starters such as redshirt freshman Reema Bzeih and senior Belden Long. Smith even played in the back in the last three games of her UCLA career.
With no postseason hopes, the Bruins can turn their focus to next season, when they’ll return all but three starters.
The defense will be anchored by freshman center back Hailie Mace and redshirt sophomore Zoey Goralski. In the midfield, 2013 championship holdovers Gabbi Miranda, Lauren Kaskie and Annie Alvarado should all be back for their senior seasons. Jenkins and Munerlyn will return for their final seasons, hoping to bring the Bruins back atop the Pac-12.
Compiled by Vikram Sairam, Bruin Sports reporter.