Everyone was bracing themselves for overtime.
UCLA and Wisconsin women’s soccer were in a deadlock, tied at 0-0. The defense on both sides resembled a brick wall, and the pattern of shot, block, shot, over the net, foul seemed unbreakable.
Halftime came and went, as did most of the second half, and still the repetition continued.
Fast forward to the game’s end, after an action-packed final fifteen minutes, and UCLA was marching off the field with a 2-0 victory under their belt.
“That game was one of the toughest we’ve played so far, it was a battle, a physical battle, a mental battle,” senior forward Zakiya Bywaters said.
In the 78th minute came the tie-breaking first goal from a player who was putting on her jersey for the first time in 2012.
Sophomore forward Rosie White took a crisp pass from freshman forward Taylor Smith and managed to tuck it perfectly into the goal.
White, who, along with junior midfielder Chelsea Stewart, recently returned from the Olympics and the U-20 World Cup, was an unknown entity to the opposition.
“It’s been a crazy summer for me … and yeah, it’s exciting to get a goal in my first game back. I’m pretty happy,” White said.
Much of UCLA’s offense this season has come Bywaters and sophomore defender Ally Courtnall. The Bruins could not rely on them on Friday, because they were unavoidably marked by Badger defense.
Whenever they touched the ball they found themselves double teamed.
UCLA didn’t let that badger them, though. Although it took most of the game for anyone to score, the Bruins got off significantly more shots, always managing to get the ball near the goal, if only over or around it instead of in.
“We make it hard on ourselves when we don’t put away opportunities early in the game, and that’s a learning opportunity for our young pups,” coach B.J. Snow said about his young team. “I hope they can … come out better next week.”
Wisconsin played physically, with several UCLA players going down throughout the game. However, none silenced the crowd so much as when Courtnall went down. Play continued as she lay slumped on the ground, grabbing her leg.
Finally, the game stopped, and, after trainers and Snow spoke with her, Courtnall was helped off the field ““ precariously at first, then limping on her own.
Snow said after the game that though she had gotten tangled up, she would be fine.
That injury did not deter UCLA, who was eager for an insurance goal. In a rare Badger slip-up, Wisconsin’s goalkeeper moved up and away from her goal, out of the box, across the midfield line, and in to help her offense.
Her attempt to help, though, turned on her, as Bywaters finally took her chance, stealing the ball and careening across the field with it, Badgers barely on her heels, scoring an easy empty net goal.
While the Bruins went into Friday’s game ranked No. 2 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and No. 1 by Soccer America. Snow sees lots of work for his team to do going into next weekend’s matchups against Loyola Marymount and Tennessee.
“I was saying before the game, we’re a work in progress and we will be throughout the season,” Snow said.
“As long as we keep taking steps forward, I’ll be happy.”