UCLA
8-3-1, 3-2-0
Arizona
8-4-1, 1-3-1
UCLA Shuts Out Arizona, 2-0
October 07, 2018 | Women's Soccer
LOS ANGELES - No. 15 UCLA scored a pair of second-half goals to defeat Arizona, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon. With the victory, their third-straight, the Bruins improve to 8-3-1, 3-2 in the Pac-12. Arizona drops to 8-4-1, 1-3-1.
The Wildcats put the pressure on the Bruins in the first half, with three scoring opportunities coming before the Bruins got their first shot in the 18th minute. Kennedy Kieneker saw two good looks with headers off corner kicks but went wide in the eighth minute and had another cleared of the line by Chloe Castaneda in the 16th minute.
After keeping Arizona at bay in the first half, UCLA turned things around quickly in the second. Just three minutes into the second half, the Bruins sliced and diced their way up the field, with Delanie Sheehan laying off a pass to Viviana Villacorta that was dummied by Ashley Sanchez. Villacorta sent a through ball to Kennedy Faulknor on the left side, and Faulknor delivered a perfect cross into the box right onto Olivia Athens' stomach. Athens pushed the ball forward and past Arizona goalkeeper Lainey Burdett for the game's first goal and her second goal of the year.
Less than a minute later, the Bruins got another opportunity, earning a penalty kick after Chloe Castaneda was taken down in the box, but Burdett saved Sanchez's penalty to keep it at 1-0.
Sanchez made sure the Bruins got that insurance goal in the 86th minute, sending a through ball up the middle to Villacorta. With Burdett rushing up to try to stop the run, Villacorta sent a shot in that went off a sliding Burdett and bounced into the back of the net for the 2-0 lead.
Junior goalkeeper Teagan Micah made three saves in the game to earn her fourth solo shutout of the year. Burdett made five saves in the game.
UCLA continues Pac-12 play on Friday night at Washington.
Team Stats
Athens, Olivia (2)
Assisted By: Faulknor, Kennedy , Villacorta, Viviana
6 crosses in front of goal, 14 chests ba
48:08
Villacorta, Viviana (3)
Assisted By: Sanchez, Ashley
through ball, shot off sliding goalies l
85:33
