Freshman forward Ashley Sanchez dribbled the ball into the heart of the Virginia defense, passing the ball past two onlooking defenders into the right side of the penalty area.
Sophomore forward Anika Rodriguez ran toward the pass and struck it past the goalkeeper to score the go-ahead goal in the 89th minute.
The No. 2 seeded Bruins (18-2-2) defeated the No. 3 seeded Cavaliers (13-6-4) on Sunday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament.
The goal came shortly after Cavalier defender Courtney Petersen picked up her second yellow of the game in the 84th minute, resulting in an automatic red card and leaving Virginia to play with one less player.
“We wore them down a bit, with our speed all over the field, they resorted to fouling at times,” said coach Amanda Cromwell. “Anytime you get a red card and you’re already tired, this late in the game, it’s going to be a huge advantage for us.”
While the Virginia defense fought to stay alive in the game, they eventually allowed Sanchez to set up a scoring opportunity for Rodriguez.
“Me and (Sanchez) have great chemistry on the field and it shows when she slips me balls all the time,” Rodriguez said. “Being calm and collected, finishing our chances, I’m speechless right now!”
Both the Bruins and the Cavaliers came out attacking to start the game. Virginia was the first team on the scoresheet after a set piece play created by a UCLA foul resulted in an own goal in the sixth minute.
UCLA wasted very little time responding, converting a penalty kick 35 seconds later.
The penalty resulted after a long pass from the Bruins defensive third of the field that sailed past the onlooking Virginia defense and into a running Sanchez inside the penalty area.
Sanchez was then dragged down by the Cavaliers senior defender Megan Reid, who picked up a yellow card. UCLA sophomore midfielder Jessie Fleming converted the penalty kick, striking the ball on the far right side of the goal post as the Virginia goalkeeper dove left.
The game was a constant battle for possession as both teams took their turns attempting to maintain possession and create opportunities.
“They took away shooting opportunities and it was hard to get shots off sometimes,” Cromwell said. “We did a good job of getting around them inside, getting corners and had several dangerous crosses but they would come back defensively.”
Because No. 1 seed North Carolina was upset by No. 4 seed Princeton, UCLA will host another round of the tournament.
“Its great to be home, we love our fans, the Den, the community shows up, it’s been a great vibe here all season,” Cromwell said. “We’ve been fantastic at home and we’ll be able to have Thanksgiving at home.”