On paper, it was a classic matchup of two offensive juggernauts.
On the one hand, there was No. 2-seeded Portland, the highest-scoring team in the nation this season.
On the other, there was No. 1-seeded UCLA, the team with a tournament-leading 17 goals in the postseason after Saturday.
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 advance to their seventh consecutive College Cup, where they will face undefeated Stanford in the semifinals.
“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 as victors, as the Pilots tried to make a late comeback, attempting five shots to go along with seven corner kicks in the last 17 minutes of the game.
On one particular play, 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.
But the Bruins responded in the 31st minute, thanks to a lucky bounce. Wright attempted a shot from 30 yards 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, senior forward Lauren Cheney fired a left-footed shot on a breakaway from 12 yards out for the eventual game-winning goal.
The duration of the match became increasingly physical, as three yellow cards were issued ““ two against UCLA and one against Portland ““ but in the end, it was the Bruins’ defense that came through to keep the Pilots’ potent offense in check.
“We knew that we had to be physical and match their intensity, because they came out pretty hard,” senior defender Lauren Wilmoth said. “With their early goal, we couldn’t afford any more shots from them.”
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 the home field.
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.”