#12 UCLA vs. #13 Wisconsin
Marshall Field at Drake Stadium
Sunday, Aug. 30 - 4:00 pm PT
TV - Pac-12 Networks (JB Long, Tammy Blackburn)
Audio - uclabruins.com (John Ramey)
Live Stats - uclabruins.com
Twitter - @uclawsoccer
Tickets: $8 adults/$5 youth (ages 3-16)
UCLA Hosts Wisconsin in Home Opener Sunday
No. 12 UCLA (1-1) hosts No. 13 Wisconsin (2-0) on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 4pm in the Bruins' home opener at Drake Stadium.
Honoring Dee Schmidt
The inspiring life of Dee Schmidt will be remembered and honored in pregame ceremonies on Sunday. Schmidt, the mother of UCLA senior defender Madison Tye and Wisconsin sophomore midfielder Alexis Tye, inspired a nation-wide movement that saw various teams from different sports and universities showing their support of Schmidt's battle with Lymphoma with the hashtag #DeeStrong. Schmidt passed away in January, but the Bruins will forever remain #DeeStrong.
Bruins Split in Season-Opening Weekend
UCLA lost its season opener at Long Beach State, 1-0, last Friday but rebounded to down San Diego on Sunday, 1-0 in double overtime. Darian Jenkins scored the golden goal in the 103rd minute after a perfect cross by Zoey Goralski. The Bruin defense allowed just nine shots and two shots on goal in two games and one goal that came off a deflection.
Jenkins Comes Through in Clutch
Junior forward Darian Jenkins has a knack for game-winning goals. She already has nine game-winners in her two-plus year career, checking in at 11th on UCLA's all-time list, tied with senior Taylor Smith. Jenkins earned her first sudden-victory goal at UCLA on Sunday, scoring at 102:52 at San Diego, one-timing a cross from Zoey Goralski inside the box.
Jenkins' sudden-victory goal was UCLA's first since Taylor Smith's double overtime goal at North Carolina catapulted the Bruins into the College Cup in 2013. UCLA had one other sudden-victory goal that season - Lauren Kaskie's memorable left-footed bomb at Stanford that snapped a seven-match losing streak against the Cardinal.
First-Timers
Four players made their first appearances as Bruins this past weekend - freshmen Hailie Mace and Taome Oliver, junior transfer Amber Munerlyn and redshirt junior Cassie Sternbach. Additionally, senior Madison Tye, redshirt sophomore Zoey Goralski and sophomore Gabrielle Matulich each earned their first career starts. Sternbach picked up her first career shutout in the 1-0 win at San Diego.
In the Rankings
UCLA, which began the season ranked No. 4 in the NSCAA preseason rankings, dropped down to No. 12 after splitting its two games on opening weekend. The Bruins are also ranked No. 8 by Top Drawer Soccer and No. 11 by Soccer America.
Scouting the Badgers
Wisconsin went 2-0 over the weekend, notching a pair of overtime victories, 2-1 in double overtime against Western Michigan and 2-1 in overtime against North Dakota State. McKenna Meuer had the game-winner on a header against Western Michigan, and All-American Rose Lavelle scored the winner against North Dakota State. Lavelle, who was a finalist for the 2014 U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year, was named to the 2015 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List and is rated the No. 2 collegiate player in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. The Badgers went 19-3-2 in 2014, advancing to the NCAA second round.
Taylor Smith on Watch List
Senior forward Taylor Smith has been named to the 2015 MAC Hermann Watch List. Smith is a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree and 2014 All-Region selection. She has scored 20 or more points in each of her three seasons at UCLA and has 25 goals and 70 points in her career. In 2014, she started all 24 games and tied for second on the team in goals scored (9) and game-winning goals (4) and ranked third in points (23). In 2013, she ranked second on the team in goals (8), assists (11) and points (26) and earned first-team All-Pac-12 acclaim. Smith scored the memorable golden goal in double overtime in the NCAA quarterfinals to defeat No. 1 seed North Carolina en route to the Bruins' first national championship. As a freshman, she earned selection to the Pac-12 and Top Drawer Soccer All-Freshman teams after ranking second on the team in goals (8), game-winning goals (3) and points (20).
A member of the U.S. Under-23 National Team, Smith helped lead the U-23s to the Four Nations Tournament title in June, scoring the game-winning goal in the team's final match against England.
Bruin Players Recognized by Top Drawer Soccer
Two Bruins are on Top Drawer Soccer's preseason Top 100 list - No. 29 Taylor Smith and No. 91 Annie Alvarado. Smith is also on their preseason Best XI third team, while freshman Inga Bakken was named to their freshman team.
Looking Ahead
On Friday, Sept. 4, UCLA takes on No. 2 Virginia in a rematch of last year's NCAA quarterfinals, which the Cavaliers won, 2-1, ending the Bruins' 44-game unbeaten streak. Two days later, UCLA will host Texas at 7pm in a match televised live by Pac-12 Networks.