UCLA
Missouri (Exh.)
UCLA, Missouri Tie 0-0 in Exhibition
August 13, 2015 | Women's Soccer
Los Angeles, Calif. - UCLA and Missouri kicked off the 2015 season on Wednesday with a 0-0 tie in an exhibition contest played at North Athletic Field.
The preseason No. 4 Bruins lost all four defenders and their goalkeeper from last year's squad that led the nation in goals against average, but the new crop of defenders and the three Bruin goalkeepers - redshirt junior Cassie Sternbach and redshirt freshmen Arielle Schechtman and Siri Ervik - hardly missed a beat, earning the shutout.
"We got out of it what we wanted," said UCLA head coach Amanda Cromwell. "We played everybody who was playable, we played different formations and got personnel in different locations. It's exactly the kind of game we wanted. We played a quality team that is very tough defensively and is a very athletic team. We got tested defensively, and we got tested with our playmaking. Their defense is very organized, so we saw some things that we need to do better in our attack and in our final third."
The Bruins had their share of chances, mostly in the second period, but Missouri's defense kept them off the board, thanks in large part to goalkeeper Kelsey Dossey, who made five saves in the contest, including a big save on a Lauren Kaskie shot that seemed destined for goal in the second.
"The second 30 (minutes), I thought we were very good and were unlucky to score there," Cromwell said. "I think we showed some dangerous components with Amber (Munerlyn) coming out of the back. We definitely need to utilize Taylor Smith more; we didn't find her feet enough, and she's so dangerous going forward. Lauren Kaskie was very dangerous getting some shots in the midfield. We saw some people step up in different ways. The exciting thing is this is game one, and there is so much more we can do to get better."
Making their UCLA debuts were freshmen Chloe Castaneda, Taome Oliver, Hailie Mace and Inga Bakken and UNC transfer Amber Munerlyn.
The Bruins will officially open the season on Friday, Aug. 21 in their season opener at Long Beach State.
