Another clean sheet and another Mohammed Kamara goal led to another Bruin victory on the East Coast.
UCLA men’s soccer (3-1-0) went on the road and took down a winless Maryland (0-2-2) squad Saturday morning. After dropping a game against San Francisco on Sunday, the Bruins beat the Terrapins the same way they beat their first two opponents – with a shutout and a game-sealing score from Kamara.
The junior transfer forward scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season Saturday, this time off a cross from senior defender Erik Holt in the 52nd minute. Holt’s pass sailed in from the right side, and Kamara buried it in the bottom right corner off a header – his first header goal of the season.
Kamara’s four goals are tied for second-most in the Pac-12, behind only Cal midfielder Shinya Kadono and his five.
The Bruins recorded just one shot on goal before Kamara’s score, but they notched four more after taking the lead.
UCLA’s defense stonewalled Maryland’s offense, allowing just six shots all game. The only shot that reached the goal was saved by freshman goalkeeper Justin Garces in the 57th minute.
Garces got his first career start on Sunday against San Francisco when he allowed the Bruins’ only goal of the season. The freshman recorded his first clean sheet of the season. Senior goalkeeper Cole Martinez leads the team with two.
The UCLA defense ranked dead-last in the Pac-12 last year, allowing 1.9 goals per game. Coach Jorge Salcedo’s squad has flipped the switch this season and is allowing 0.25 goals per game.
The Bruins entered the season just outside of the US Coaches Top 25 Poll after finishing the 2017 season with a losing record. However, after they beat then-No. 19 Coastal Carolina on the road in the season-opener, UCLA jumped 19 spots into the No. 8 slot.
The following week, they beat San Diego and lost to San Francisco, and they dropped back down to No. 27 in the poll. The next polls will be released Tuesday morning.
After their second East Coast road trip of the year, the Bruins will return to the West Coast for the remainder of the regular season. They will face off against Omaha on Wednesday and CSUN on Sept. 16, with both games kicking off at 7 p.m. in Wallis Annenberg Stadium.