UCLA
5-2-3, 2-0-2
Washington
5-4-3, 2-2-1
UCLA Scores Four in Road Win at No. 20 Washington
October 08, 2023 | Men's Soccer
SEATTLE – The No. 25-ranked UCLA men's soccer team scored three goals late in the second half to pull away and record a 4-2 win over No. 20 Washington on Sunday afternoon at Husky Soccer Stadium.
The Bruins (5-3-2, 2-0-2 Pac-12) led for the majority of the contest after redshirt junior forward Jose Contell opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Washington (5-4-3, 2-2-1) equalized in the 59th, but UCLA responded with three unanswered goals in a 12-minute span, starting with a Cam Wilkerson tally at the 69:32 mark, to put the game away.
The hosts added a goal in the final minute to bring the game to its final score line.
Seven different Bruins ended up on the score sheet on Sunday, including three-point efforts from sophomore midfielders Wilkerson and Sebastian Rincon. The latter notched his first collegiate goal to cap UCLA's scoring in the 82nd minute.
The result snapped a nine-game losing streak for UCLA against Washington, and the was the Bruins' first win in Seattle since 2017. Paired with Thursday's draw at Oregon State, it also marks the Bruins' first unbeaten trip to the Pacific Northwest Pac-12 schools since 2017.
UCLA finished the contest with a 12-7 advantage in shots, the 10th consecutive game that the Bruins have recorded double-digit shots to open the season.
Freshman goalkeeper Wyatt Nelson, a Seattle native making a hometown return, was strong in net for the Bruins. His biggest moment came in the 79th minute, as he dove low to his left to make a stop of a Washington penalty kick attempt.
The game's opening goal came as a result of a corner kick, with Tommy Silva finding Pietro Grassi at the far post with an in-swinging ball. Grassi headed the ball back across goal, and UW goalie Sam Fowler tried to push the ball out of danger, but he only got it to the edge of the six-yard box where Contell was able to strike with a half-volley into an undefended net.
The Bruins controlled the tempo for the remainder of the first half despite not adding another goal, holding the Huskies without a shot on frame.
The early part of the second half saw more of a back-and-forth between the two teams, and UW was able to equalize in the 59th minute on a Sean Sent strike from the top of the box.
UCLA would go ahead for good just over 10 minutes later however, as the Bruins got three goals off the bench in rapid fashion to push the lead to 4-1.
Wilkerson got the first goal of that sequence in the 70th minute. Rincon set up the goal after dribbling laterally across the top of the box and threading a through ball inside the 18 for Wilkerson, who took a touch and slotted low to the keeper's left for the go-ahead score.
Graduate midfielder Sean Karani then produced the eventual game-winner in the 77th, running down a long through ball from Wilkerson and popping in a first-touch chip over Fowler to make it 3-1 in UCLA's favor.
Graduate forward Jack Sarkos and Rincon then linked up for the Bruins' final tally in the 82nd. Hanging on to the ball on the left edge of the box and near the end line, Sarkos waited out the UW defense and rolled across a ball to Rincon, who charged the net and slammed home a first-time shot from inside the six past Fowler.
UCLA returns home for its next four games, starting on Saturday, Oct. 14 against Loyola Marymount.
Team Stats
Jose Contell (1)
Assisted By: Pietro Grassi , Tommy Silva
GOAL by UCL Contell, Jose Assist by Grassi, Pietro and Silva, Tommy.
13:48
Sean Sent (2)
Assisted By: Harrison Bertos
GOAL by WSH Sent, Sean Assist by Bertos, Harrison.
58:47
Cam Wilkerson (3)
Assisted By: Sebastian Rincon
GOAL by UCL Wilkerson, Cam Assist by Rincon, Sebastian.
69:32
Sean Karani (3)
Assisted By: Cam Wilkerson
GOAL by UCL Karani, Sean Assist by Wilkerson, Cam.
76:29
Sebastian Rincon (1)
Assisted By: Jack Sarkos , Tarun Karumanchi
GOAL by UCL Rincon, Sebastian Assist by Sarkos, Jack and Karumanchi, Tarun.
81:40
Jack Maguire (1)
Assisted By: Imanol Rosales , Joe Dale
GOAL by WSH Maguire, Jack Assist by Rosales, Imanol and Dale, Joe.
89:14
