The first United Women’s Soccer championship couldn’t have had more of a storybook ending.
The Santa Clarita Blue Heat had one last-ditch effort to win the game in overtime – a corner kick in the 119th minute with the match tied at one goal apiece.
Then came Julia Hernandez.
The UCLA sophomore forward timed a bicycle kick, sending the ball off New Jersey Copa FC goalkeeper Christiana Ogunsami’s hand and into the back of the net.
Championship clinched.
The Blue Heat, with six current or former Bruins on its roster, defeated Copa FC 2-1 to win the UWS title Saturday night in Santa Clarita, California.
For much of the first half, Hernandez was the most dominant player on offense for Santa Clarita. The eventual championship MVP opened the scoring nine minutes in with a breakaway goal off an assist by class of 2016 alumna midfielder Kodi Lavrusky.
Hernandez had another one-on-one scoring opportunity in the 38th minute, but Ogunsami denied her.
Both keepers had their share of highlight reel saves, however. Blue Heat goalie JoJo McCaskill stymied New Jersey’s forwards all day, stonewalling a 20-yard rocket by Krystyna Freda in the first half and chances by Jeanine Nunez and Freda five minutes apart in the first overtime.
The only shot McCaskill failed to save was a 73rd-minute penalty by Nunez. McCaskill got a hand on the ball, but it spun into the side of the goal to level the game at one.
The Blue Heat had a chance to go ahead in the 102nd minute, but midfielder Kelsey Gudgeon’s penalty kick sailed over the crossbar.
Seventeen minutes later, though, Hernandez finally put Santa Clarita up for good with her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
Lavrusky tied for the second-most goals on the team with five, while redshirt freshman midfielder Chloe Castaneda led the Blue Heat with four assists on the year. Junior defender/midfielder Gabrielle Matulich and senior defender/midfielder Gabbi Miranda each added one assist, and junior goalie Siri Ervik appeared in three games, registering two saves and five goals against.
More titles for UCLA
Halfway across the country in Frisco, Texas, another Bruin won some more hardware.
Redshirt freshman forward/midfielder Anika Rodriguez led the Southern California Blues Dodge to a perfect 4-0 record and the girls’ U19 US Youth Soccer National Championship after a 5-0 rout of McLean 96 Green.
Rodriguez, who was named to the tournament’s Best Eleven, scored three goals, including the game-winning tally in the Dodge’s first round robin game and one on a free kick in the final minute of the championship match.
Even with six champions currently on UCLA’s roster, that number may grow within the next month. Bruin commit Mallory Pugh and incoming freshman Jessie Fleming will vie for a gold medal in Rio for Team USA and Canada, respectively.
Email Wang at hwang@dailybruin.com or tweet @hansondwang.