On paper, it was a classic matchup of two offensive juggernauts.
On the one hand, there was the No. 2-seeded Portland, the highest scoring team in the nation this season.
On the other, there was the No. 1-seeded UCLA, the team with a tournament-leading 17 goals in the postseason.
But what transpired at Drake Stadium on Saturday wasn’t so much a high-scoring affair as it was a scrappy, grind-it-out brand of soccer that had the Bruins (21-2-1) edging the Pilots (21-2) 2-1 to make their seventh consecutive College Cup appearance.
“Obviously, it’s the tournament, so we had to step up, and I just think we were ultra-ready for this team,” junior midfielder Kylie Wright said. “We just came out, prepared the best that we could and got lucky with our finish.”
The Bruins were certainly fortunate to have come out the victors by the time the final horn sounded, as the Pilots attempted a furious comeback late into the match.
With her team down by a goal and just eight minutes remaining, Portland’s Sophie Schmidt positioned herself 35 yards out from the post on a free kick and sent the ball sailing just under the crossbar, but the Bruins’ redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Chante’ Sandiford leaped up to push it away and preserve UCLA’s victory.
Ironically, it was Portland that had the early lead with Danielle Foxhoven’s goal at the 2:01 mark, which quieted the home crowd.
But the Bruins responded in the 31st minute with some help from the opponents. Wright attempted a shot from long range on the left side, only to have the ball bounce off of a Portland defender and dribble its way through the net for the equalizer.
Three minutes later, finding herself one-on-one with the Pilots’ senior goalkeeper Kelsey Davis, senior forward Lauren Cheney fired a shot from 18 yards out and into the right corner for the go-ahead and game-winning goal.
For the duration of the match, UCLA’s defense stepped up to limit Portland’s potent offense, hounding Portland possession after possession.
Overall, the Bruins limited the Pilots to just seven shots on the night, including a span of 80 minutes in which the opponents did not get off a single shot.
“What has been so good for us is not just our individual players but our preparation and knowing what teams are going to do,” coach Jillian Ellis said. “(The Pilots) have some fantastic attacking personalities, so I just thought our defense was incredible tonight.”
Seniors’ night out
Saturday’s quarterfinal match marked the last time the Bruins’ senior class played on Drake Stadium.
Remarkably enough, the seniors have not lost a single home match during their four years in Westwood.
“I wouldn’t have asked to play a better team. Portland played awesome,” Cheney said. “To stay undefeated on Drake, that’s a testament to us, and I think it’s amazing.”
“It feels great, going out, never losing on Drake is just awesome,” senior defender Lauren Wilmoth added. “I couldn’t have asked for a better result.”