UCLA
Wisconsin
No. 12 UCLA Downs No. 13 Wisconsin 2-1
August 31, 2015 | Women's Soccer
Los Angeles, Calif. - No. 12 UCLA defeated No. 13 Wisconsin, 2-1, in the Bruins' home opener at Drake Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Bruins scored both goals off set pieces, with Gabbi Miranda giving UCLA the early lead and Amber Munerlyn netting the game-winner late.
The Bruins (2-1) took a 1-0 lead at 27:36 on a play that had been designed just the day before and executed for the first time in that moment. Annie Alvarado sent a corner kick outside the box to Miranda. The junior defender hit a long-distance rocket into the upper left corner of the net for her first goal of the season.
Wisconsin (2-2) tied the game up quickly just three minutes later thanks to a relentless Badger attack that never quit on the play despite two tremendous defensive stops by the Bruins. Rose Lavelle started the series with a pass to an on-rushing Marisa Kresge on the right side. Kresge fired off a shot that Bruin goalkeeper Cassie Sternbach made a fantastic save on. The rebound went back to Kresge, and her second shot was cleared off the line by Miranda. However, Lavelle was right there to one-time the rebound from 12 yards out for the equalizer.
Munerlyn's game-winner at 73:56 also came off a rebound. After a UCLA corner kick was punched out of the box by Clem, Madison Tye collected the ball for the Bruins and sent it in to Munerlyn. The junior transfer from UNC headed the ball towards goal, where it was blocked by a Wisconsin defender, but Munerlyn, like Lavelle, did not give up on the play, and poked in the rebound for her first goal as a Bruin.
"It was a nice team effort," said UCLA head coach Amanda Cromwell. "They put in effort all over the field, and we had good communication by our backs. As a whole, our team did a good job tonight just plugging away and grinding it out."
UCLA outshot Wisconsin, 18-7, and had nine shots on goal to the Badgers' three. Wisconsin goalkeeper Caitlyn Clem recorded a career-best seven saves, including a sprawling save off an Alvarado shot in the 18th minute, which was immediately followed by a Taylor Smith shot that hit the right post. Clem also had another big stop in the 43rd minute off a beauty of a free kick by Lauren Kaskie that seemed destined for goal. Sternbach recorded two saves in capturing the victory, including a nice snag of a Kinley McNicoll shot in the 58th minute that kept the game tied at 1-1.
"All in all, against a team like that, getting a good, solid win gives us confidence going forward to our Virginia game," Cromwell said.
The Bruins will host the second-ranked Cavaliers on Friday, Sept. 4 at 7pm in a rematch of the 2014 NCAA quarterfinals (won by Virginia) and the 2013 NCAA semifinals (won by UCLA). Tickets for the game are on sale now at www.uclabruins.com/tickets.
