UCLA
Santa Clara
No. 7 UCLA Set for Pair of Home Matches
August 23, 2017 | Women's Soccer
No. 7 UCLA vs. Santa Clara
Los Angeles, Calif. (Marshall Field at Drake Stadium)
Thursday,ย Aug. 24 - 7:05 pm PT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Christian Miles, Temryss Lane)
Internet Radio: UCLABruins.com (Nick Koop)
Live Stats: UCLALiveStats.com
Tickets: UCLABruins.com/tickets ($8 adults / $5 youth 12 and under)
Twitter: @UCLAWSoccer
No. 7 UCLA vs. UC Santa Barbara
Los Angeles, Calif. (Marshall Field at Drake Stadium)
Sunday,ย Aug. 27 - 5:35 pm PT
TV: Pac-12 Network (Jim Watson, Krista Blunk)
Internet Radio: UCLABruins.com (Nick Koop)
Live Stats: UCLALiveStats.com
Tickets: UCLABruins.com/tickets ($8 adults / $5 youth 12 and under)
Twitter: @UCLAWSoccer
About the Bruins
No. 7 UCLA will begin a two-game homestand this week, starting with Santa Clara on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 7:05 p.m., followed by facing UC Santa Barbara on Sunday at 5:35 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network, and it can also be heard online at UCLABruins.com.
Fleming Named Player of the Week
Sophomore midfielder Jessie Fleming was named both the Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Week and the UCLA/Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week for Aug. 14-20. Fleming began the 2017 season with two goals and three assists in the Bruins' first two games, both 5-1 victories, over San Diego State and at Long Beach State. In the win over San Diego State, she scored the game-winning goal on a spectacular volley and also assisted on the game's first goal. At San Diego State, she scored a goal in the third minute and added two assists. Fleming, who has a goal or assist in her last five games dating to last year, leads the team and is sixth in the nation with seven points.
Scoring Machine
Junior forward Julia Hernandez is off to a hot start this season as she has already scored three goals in just two matches in 2017. Hernandez is fifth in the country this season with her three goals and 13th in goals per game at 1.50. More impressively, she has scored her three goal in just 37 minutes of action which averages to a goal every 12 minutes and 20 seconds that Hernandez is on the pitch.
Fresh Faces
UCLA's freshman class has already made a big impact, with five freshmen earning starting positions in at least one game so far this season. Karina Rodriguez, Viviana Villacorta and Delanie Sheehan started in both games over the weekend, and Ashley Sanchez and Olivia Athens earned the start at Long Beach State. Sheehan ranks third on the team in scoring with five points (2g, 1a). Athens has two assists, and Villacorta has one assist. Rodriguez leads all field players with 135 minutes played. Also making her collegiate debut over the weekend was Marley Canales, who played in both games.
Scouting the Broncos
Santa Clara is ranked No. 13 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll and enters Thursday's match with a 1-1-0 record after earning a 2-1 victory over San Jose State in its season opener and falling to California on the road, 2-1, on Sunday. Maddy Gonzalez scored a goal in each of SCU's opening matches, while Julie Doyle scored the game-winning goal against San Jose State. Santa Clara was picked to win the West Coast Conference as Kellie Peay and Gudrun Arnardottir were named to the All-WCC Preseason Team. Both were named second team All-WCC and All-West Region second team selections lat season.
Scouting the Gauchos
UCSB won both of its matches opening weekend with a 3-0 win over Idaho and later earned a 1-0 road victory at San Jose State to begin the season with a 2-0-0 record. Amanda Ball was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week after scoring three goals, and Kate Shoemaker was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Week. Goalkeepers Maddie Julian and Brittney Rogers each tallied shutouts last week with a total of five saves. The Gauchos were picked third in the preseason coaches poll with Ball and Mallory Hromatko being named to the preseason all-league team.
Last Week's Roundup
UCLA opened the 2017 season with a pair of victories, defeating San Diego State and Long Beach State last weekend both by the score of 5-1.
- The Bruins defeated San Diego State on Friday, Aug. 18 as junior forward Julia Hernandez scored two second-half goals, and Hailie Mace and Jessie Fleming each had a goal and an assist. Mace gave UCLA a 1-0 lead after the first half before UCLA scored four second-half goals to run away with the game.
- The Bruins then earned a win over LBSU as freshman Delanie Sheehan scored two goals, and sophomore Jessie Fleming had a goal and two assists. UCLA went up quickly 2-0 in the first half with goals from Fleming and Sheehan and didn't look back as Teagan Micah made two saves to earn her second-straight win.
2016 in Review
The Bruins finished last season ranked No. 13 in the country with a 15-5-2 overall record and 7-3-1 Pac-12 record, which tied for fourth in the standings. UCLA advanced to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 1 overall seed West Virginia in penalty kicks in a snowy affair. Five Bruins earned Pac-12 awards, including All-Pac-12 honorees Jessie Fleming (1st team), Anika Rodriguez (2nd team) and Hailie Mace (honorable mention) and All-Freshman selection Kaiya McCullough. Fleming became just the fourth Bruin in history to earn NSCAA All-America honors as a freshman.
In The Rankings
UCLA moved up two spots to No. 7 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and earned one first-place vote after impressive 5-1 victories in its first two games. UCLA also moved up in the TopDrawerSoccer.com poll, checking in at No. 5.
MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
Sophomore midfielder Jessie Fleming has been selected to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List for 2017. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year. Fleming, a member of the full Canadian Women's National Team since 2013, was one of just two freshmen to receive All-America honors last season, being selected to the NSCAA All-America third team after leading UCLA in goals (11) and points (27). In her first game as a Bruin, less than 10 days after winning a bronze medal at the Olympic Games with Team Canada, she scored two goals, and she went on to score a goal in each of her first four games. Fleming was selected the Top Drawer Soccer Freshman of the Year.
Bruins Earn Preseason Awards
Three Bruins have been selected by TopDrawerSoccer.com for its preseason awards. Sophomore midfielder Jessie Fleming is on its Preseason Best XI, and forward Ashley Sanchez and defender Kennedy Faulknor have been named to the Freshmen Best XI team.
- Fleming (London, Ontario, Canada) was the Top Drawer Soccer National Freshman of the Year last season after scoring 11 goals and 27 points to lead the team in both categories. The Canadian National Team veteran played in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. Last season, Fleming became only the fourth Bruin freshman ever to earn NSCAA All-America honors.
- The No. 1 recruit in the nation, Sanchez (Monrovia, Calif.) is the reigning U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. She was the fi rst U.S. player in history to play in two Women's World Cups in the same year, serving as team captain for the Under-17 squad and starting for the Under-20 team in 2016. She also trained with the full U.S. Women's National Team at a training camp in April of 2016.
- Faulknor (Markham, Ontario, Canada) also has full national team experience, becoming the youngest center back ever to play for the Canadian Women's National Team when she was 16 years old. The 2015 U17 Canadian Player of the Year played in the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Under-17 Championship and was named to the Best XI team at the 2014 CONCACAF Under-15 Championship.
Top Newcomers
UCLA has assembled another star-studded recruiting class for the 2017 season, as the freshman class is ranked No. 2 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. The class is highlighted by No. 1 recruit and U.S. Women's National Team member Ashley Sanchez and Canadian Women's National Team member Kennedy Faulknor. Also signing with UCLA are Youth National Team players Olivia Athens, Lauren Brzykcy, Karina Rodriguez, Delanie Sheehan and Viviana Villacorta and local standouts Issy Bellinghausen, Dani Satterwhite and High School All-American Hannah Sharts.
National Teams
UCLA has a plethora of national team players on its 2017 squad, including four who have earned call-ups to the full national team - Fleming (Canada), Teagan Micah (Australia) and freshmen Ashley Sanchez (U.S.) and Kennedy Faulknor (Canada). Three played with the U.S. Under-23 National Team in July - Sanchez, Zoey Goralski and Hailie Mace. Karina Rodriguez and Viviana Villacorta have played with the Under-20s this year, and Kaiya McCullough and Delanie Sheehan have played with the Under-19s in 2017. Eleven more Bruins have played with various U.S. Youth National Teams in their career - Olivia Athens (U-18), Lauren Brzykcy (U-17), Marley Canales (2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup), Chloe Castaneda (U-17), MacKenzie Cerda (U-18), Sunny Dunphy (U-19), Chloe Hemingway (U-18), Gabrielle Matulich (U-20), Jacey Pederson (U-19), Anika Rodriguez (U-17), and Claire Winter (U-15). In addition, Siri Ervik played with the Norwegian U-19 National Team, and Julia Hernandez played with the Spanish U-17 National Team.
25 Years of UCLA Women's Soccer
UCLA women's soccer enters its 25th season as an NCAA sport with an all-time record of 411-94-36 (.793). Under head coach Joy Fawcett, UCLA went 10-6-1 in its first season with varsity status in 1993, tallying an 11-0 win over Southern California College in its first game, along with two wins over USC, 6-0 and 2-0. The Bruins were led in the inaugural season by Sonja Munevar, who had 13 goals and 32 points, and Kristy Howard, who totaled 10 assists. UCLA earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance just two years later and earned its first postseason victory in 1997. In 2000, the Bruins advanced to the NCAA Championship match and played in the College Cup a total of eight times before winning its first national title in 2013.
Looking Ahead
The Bruins will play three straight matches away from home beginning with a two-game swing through the state of Utah beginning with BYU on Friday, Sept. 1 at 6 pm PT, followed by Weber State on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 6 pm PT.
