University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Hosts Defending NCAA Champions Friday
August 31, 2016 | Women's Soccer
#11 UCLA (2-1) vs. #13 Penn State (1-1-1)
Marshall Field at Drake Stadium
Friday, Sept. 2 - 8 pm PT
Watch: Pac-12 Network (Christian Miles, Tammy Blackburn)
Live Stats: uclabruins.com/livestats
Tickets: $8 adults/$5 youth
2013, 2015 NCAA Champions Face Off Friday
The 2013 NCAA champion UCLA Bruins (2-1, ranked No. 11 in the NSCAA poll) take on the 2015 NCAA champion Penn State Nittany Lions (1-1-1, ranked No. 13) on Friday, Sept. 2 at Drake Stadium. The match is scheduled to kick off at 8:05pm and is the second in a doubleheader with the ninth-ranked UCLA men's soccer team, who hosts Duke at 5pm. Pac-12 Networks will televise both matches live.
UCLA to Face Third-Straight Top 15 Team
With Friday's match against 13th-ranked Penn State, UCLA will be facing its third consecutive Top 15 opponent. The Bruins upended No. 11 Texas A&M 1-0 on the road last Friday but fell to No. 6 Florida on Sunday, 4-3 in overtime. Friday's matchup is also the second of three consecutive for UCLA against previous NCAA champions.
Bruins, Nittany Lions Missing U-20 Players
Both UCLA and Penn State have been impacted by the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Bruin freshman Marley Canales has been called into training camp from Sept. 1-19, as has future Bruin Mal Pugh, who is delaying enrollment until winter quarter. Penn State is missing four players who will be redshirting this season, plus goalkeeper Rose Chandler, who is in training camp.
Last Week
UCLA split its matches last week, beating 11th-ranked Texas A&M in front of a boisterous crowd of nearly 6,000 fans by a score of 1-0. Redshirt freshman Chloe Castaneda scored the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute, and freshman goalkeeper Teagan Micah made five saves to earn her second shutout. The Bruins lost their Sunday match in overtime to Florida, 4-3, but Jessie Fleming made a big statement in her collegiate debut, scoring two goals in the second half - the equalizer and the go-ahead goals at the time.
Fleming Named UCLA Student-Athlete of Week
Freshman midfielder Jessie Fleming was voted the UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week after her two-goal performance in her collegiate debut against Florida. Just nine days removed from winning a bronze medal with Team Canada at the Rio Olympic Games, Fleming wasted no time in making a name for herself at UCLA, scoring the game-tying and the go-ahead goals in the second half. Fleming had just arrived at UCLA two days prior while the team was on the road at Texas A&M.
UCLA Offense Firing on All Cylinders
UCLA has no shortage of firepower this season, with 10 players scoring 18 goals in the Bruins' five games played this fall (2-2 exhibition tie vs. BYU, 5-0 win at San Diego State, 7-0 exhibition win over Beijing Normal, 1-0 win at Texas A&M, 3-4 loss to Florida). In regular season play, the Bruins have outscored opponents 9-4. Darian Jenkins leads the team with three goals and an assist. Jessie Fleming has two goals, Amber Munerlyn has one goal and one assist, and three other players - Julia Hernandez, Annie Alvarado and Chloe Castaneda have one goal apiece. Anika Rodriguez and Zoey Goralski lead the team in assists with two each.
Fresh Faces
Three freshmen have started for the Bruins in their first three games - goalkeeper Teagan Micah, defender Kaiya McCullough and midfielder Anika Rodriguez. All three played big roles in the season opening victory at San Diego State, as Micah posted the shutout, and McCullough and Rodriguez each earned an assist. Also making their UCLA debuts at San Diego State were sophomore Julia Hernandez, who started both matches; freshmen Jacey Pederson and Sunny Dunphy; redshirt freshman Chloe Castaneda and redshirt sophomore Chloe Hemingway. Freshman Jessie Fleming made her debut against Florida.
A Look at the Bruins
UCLA is looking strong after a rebuilding 2015 season that saw the Bruins go 8-10-1 after losing nine starters to graduation. Eight starters return for UCLA in 2016: goalkeeper Siri Ervik; defenders Zoey Goralski, Hailie Mace and MacKenzie Cerda; midfielders Annie Alvarado, Lauren Kaskie and Claire Winter; and forward Darian Jenkins. Cerda started at forward last season but has moved into a left back role. Alvarado and Jenkins are two of four team captains, along with seniors Gabbi Miranda and Courtney Proctor.
Two key Bruins are back in the mix after redshirting the 2015 season - forward/midfielder Anika Rodriguez and midfielder Chloe Castaneda. Rodriguez spent the summer leading SoCal Blues to the US Youth Soccer National Championship, and Castaneda earned United Women's Soccer West Conference Player of the Year honors while leading the Santa Clarita Blue Heat to the UWS Championship.
Another important member of the SC Blue Heat was sophomore forward Julia Hernandez, who joined the Bruins in the spring quarter after transfering from Eastern Florida State College. Hernandez was the UWS Championship MVP, scoring both goals in the Blue Heat's 2-1 overtime victory.
UCLA also brings in the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class, led by Canadian Olympic team starter Jessie Fleming and U.S. Youth National Team members Marley Canales, Jacey Pederson, Sunny Dunphy and Kaiya McCullough.
About the Nittany Lions
Penn State enters the week with a 1-1-1 record and is coming off a 3-2 loss to No. 14 BYU. The Nittany Lions won their first-ever NCAA championship a year ago on the strength of their defense. They outscored their opponents in the NCAA Tournament, 20-0, and allowed a total of just 13 shots on goal. The Nittany Lions graduated MAC Hermann Trophy winner Raquel Rodriguez but bring back their top two scorers in Megan Schafer (13g, 3a) and Frannie Crouse (11g, 7a).
In the Rankings
The Bruins moved up four spots to No. 11 in the NSCAA rankings this week. UCLA also moved up from 14th to 11th in the Soccer America poll. The Bruins are 21st in the Top Drawer Soccer poll.
Jenkins Gets First UCLA Hat Trick Since Leroux
Senior forward Darian Jenkins scored three goals in an eight-minute span in the first half to propel UCLA to a 5-0 victory over San Diego State in the season opener. Her hat trick was the first by a Bruin since Sydney Leroux scored three vs. Colorado on Oct. 28, 2011, and it earned her Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week acclaim.
True Freshman Gets Opening Day Nod in Goal
Australian goalkeeper Teagan Micah became the first UCLA true freshman to start in goal on opening day since Valerie Henderson in 2004. Micah got the clean sheet in the Bruins' first two games and earned Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week honors Aug. 23.
International Bruins
UCLA has five international players on its roster this season, all from different countries. Siri Ervik is the lone upperclassman of the group, having arrived from Norway in 2014. The other four are freshmen - Jessie Fleming from Canada, Julia Hernandez from Spain, Teagan Micah from Australia, and Maki Umehara from Japan. Hernandez and Umehara both went to school in the United States (Hernandez played one year at Eastern Florida State College in 2015, and Umehara was born in New York and played at Scarsdale HS in New York in 2012).
Four Prior NCAA Champions to Visit Westwood
Four previous NCAA champions will visit UCLA this season, including three consecutive matches against 1998 champion Florida (Aug. 28), defending champion Penn State (Sept. 2) and 21-time NCAA champion North Carolina (Sept. 9). Also visiting UCLA is 2011 champion Stanford (Oct. 9). UCLA is also part of the champions club, having won in 2013.
Rodriguez, Fleming Named to TDS Preseason Freshman XI Team
UCLA freshmen Anika Rodriguez and Jessie Fleming were selected to Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Freshman XI Team. Rodriguez, who redshirted last year after suffering a knee injury during her high school season, is a veteran of the U.S. Youth National Team program and played in the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championships. Fleming was a standout for the bronze medal Canadian team at the Olympics, starting every game and recording an assist in the opening game. A member of the full national team since she was 15 years old, Fleming has played in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and was the Golden Ball winner at the 2013 CONCACAF U-17 Championships.
Two Seniors Recognized by TDS
Two Bruins are on Top Drawer Soccer's preseason Top 100 list - No. 76 Darian Jenkins and No. 91 Annie Alvarado. Jenkins earned NSCAA third-team All-America honors in 2013 and was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. In her career, she has totaled 25 goals and nine assists for 59 points. Alvarado is a three-year starter and two-year team captain who has started 41 of 42 games in the last two seasons, compiling four goals and four assists.
UCLA Olympians
UCLA had six Bruins in Rio for the Olympics this summer, including bronze medalist Jessie Fleming (Canada) and semifinalist Aline Reis (Brazil). Fleming, an incoming freshman, started six matches for Team Canada and recorded one assist. Reis, the Bruins' goalkeeper coach, started and played in one game for Team Brazil, posting a shutout against South Africa in group play. Former UCLA head coach Jill Ellis selected two Bruins for Team USA - incoming freshman Mal Pugh, who played in three games with two starts and became the youngest player in U.S. Soccer history to score a goal, and alternate Sam Mewis. Rounding out the Bruin contingent in Rio was two-time New Zealand Olympian Rosie White, who played in two of three games for the Football Ferns.
Canales, Pugh Called into U-20 Camp
Bruins Marley Canales and Mal Pugh have been called into U.S. Under-20 National Team training camp in Carson ahead of the 2016 U-20 Women's NTC Invitational. The training camp will run from Sept. 1-19, and the U.S. will face Brazil, England and the Korea Republic Sept. 14, 16 and 18.
