LOS ANGELES — UCLA leapfrogging No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Duke to move to the top of the college poll would make for quite a headline in a few months, closer to March.
But this column is about what the Bruins just did, going cross-country, looking for trouble against the toughest opponents in all the land and bringing back a pair confidence- and cred-boosting victories.
So, no, we’re not talking UCLA football, which is ramping up for Pac-12 play with a preseason schedule of relatively little-risk, little-reward gimmes at home, starting with Bowling Green last week and continuing Saturday against Alabama State.
It was one of UCLA’s other futbol teams, the UCLA women’s soccer squad, that upended the top two teams in the country last weekend – a feat that pushed the 5-0 Bruins past the Blue Devils and Tar Heels into No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches’ poll.
The best women’s college team in the country right now, UCLA might be worth your attention if you’re a fan of, say, Angel City FC or LAFC. Or if you’ve got soccer-playing kids who could learn from disciplined defenders and patient strikers. If you’ve any appreciation for tactical, athletic brilliance. If you like winning.
First-year UCLA women’s soccer head coach Margueritte Aozasa was an assistant at Stanford for seven seasons. (Photo by Jesus Ramirez/UCLA Athletic)
First-year head coach Margueritte Aozasa has hit the ground sprinting since she came aboard in December, stepping in for Amanda Cromwell, who left to coach the National Women’s Soccer League’s Orlando Pride.
Aozasa was on the Stanford coaching staff when the Cardinal won NCAA Championships in 2017 and 2019 and swept every Pac-12 title between 2015-19. She grew up in Mountain View and was a four-year starter at Santa Clara from 2008-11 before joining Stanford’s staff. She thought L.A. would be more showy and intense than the Bay Area but has been pleased to find her preconceptions were misconceptions.
She lives near the beach, close enough to work that she can take surface streets and avoid the 405 Freeway. She didn’t have to deal with a waiting list to get into an early morning yoga class – unthinkable up north! And all the Southern California talent surrounding her? That’s absolutely aiding and accelerating her acclimation.
UCLA goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy, out of San Clemente, made nine saves against No. 2 Duke last weekend. (Photo by Scott Chandler/Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)
There’s San Clemente’s Lauren Brzykcy, an almost impenetrable force in goal, who made nine saves against Duke.
There’s Aliso Viejo’s Reilyn Turner, the junior forward who scored the match-winners against Duke and North Carolina. And Carlsbad’s Lexi Wright, a sophomore who juked two Tar Heels out of their cleats for the 1-1 tie, setting up UNC’s first home loss to a nonconference opponent since 2014.
There’s San Clemente’s Madelyn Desiano, a sixth-year defender who, after three knee surgeries, is apt to appreciate the moment in a way that resonates with teammates. Also Glendora’s Ally Lemos, a wise-beyond-her-18-years freshman midfielder who is one of only two Bruins to play every match so far entering Sunday’s against Cal State Fullerton.
Ally Lemos, a freshman midfielder from Glendora, is one of only two Bruins to play every match this season. (Photo by Percy Anderson/Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)
In all, 16 members of the ensemble hail from Southern California, many of them having known one another since they were 7 or 8 and just figuring out how good they could be.
That’s where the Bruins are now, putting together that they have what it takes to win a national title, something only one other UCLA women’s soccer team has –
*record scratch*
Wait, really?
The golden goal in the 2013 NCAA championship match off Kodi Lavruksy’s left foot that gave the Bruins their first title in women’s soccer – that’s still their only one?
#UCLA100: @UCLAWSoccer won its first-ever NCAA Championship in 2013, defeating Florida State 1-0 on a golden goal by Kodi Lavrusky.
For more centennial moments, visit https://t.co/rgArXT9rxW#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/O9BqG9MhMo
— UCLA Athletics (@UCLAAthletics) December 6, 2019
I remember it because Lavrusky is one of the coolest high school athletes I covered, a talent from Yucaipa who I would’ve paid admission to watch.
I looked away since that one shining moment in 2013 and assumed the UCLA women’s soccer program, with all its sun-kissed SoCal skill and 11 NCAA semifinal appearances, would’ve since contributed more than the one national championship to a university-wide tally of 119.
UCLA’s Reilyn Turner, a junior forward from Alisa Viejo, scored the game-winning goals against No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Duke last weekend. (Photo by Percy Anderson/Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)
“Yeah, one,” Turner confirmed, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I know, it’s crazy.”
“We have one – one!” said Lemos, the freshman who said that fact hit her only recently, when she was comparing her team’s training tops with the men’s: The guys have four stars on theirs, the women have just the one.
“That’s why I came here,” Desiano said. “Two other schools, they gave me a higher scholarship. But I told my parents, ‘I want to win a national championship.’
“And we’ve underperformed at the national level,” Desiano added. “It’s frustrating because you have the talent, you have the work ethic, but we’ve been missing the final piece. Talent and just having ‘UCLA women’s soccer,’ just having the name, it only gets you so far. And then the will to win comes in, and we’ve been missing that.”
UCLA’s Madelyn Desiano, a sixth-year defender from San Clemente, has overcome three knee surgeries. (Photo by Scott Chandler/Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)
It could be what Aozasa adds. Fresh enthusiasm and a killer tactical instinct.
After all, she, with just four matches of head-coaching experience going into Sunday, outwitted Anson Dorrance, UNC’s 44th-year head coach whose teams have claimed 23 national championships.
The day before UCLA faced Duke on Sept. 1, Aozasa had the Bruins begin practicing a 3-5-2 formation that they’d use to match up with both of their high-powered hosts, anticipating that structure would limit their opponents’ counterattack opportunities and spark their own.
She trusted her players would capitalize, and she trusted herself to make the call. Her players trusted her too – and that was before it all went according to plan.
Five matches in, she’s got them believing they can deliver title No. 2: “It’s always out there, it’s always the motivation,” Wright said. “In your sprints, when everyone’s gassed on the field, it’s what you work toward, for sure … and I think we can be great, even going up and winning a national championship.”
UCLA’s Lexi Wright, a sophomore from Carlsbad, scored the tying goal against No. 1 North Carolina last weekend. (Photo by Percy Anderson/Courtesy of UCLA Athletics)
It’s why Aozasa came to L.A., to chase the Hollywood ending.
“When I took the job here, the expectation at UCLA, across sports, is to win national championships,” she said. “I knew we were going to have to prove ourselves through the season – not just to the rest of the country, but also prove ourselves to ourselves a little. And that was huge this weekend.”
𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟑 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩
Made ourselves at home in North Carolina last week. #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/8aidaeAnmQ
— UCLA Women’s Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) September 7, 2022
All credit to the team – discipline, hard work, trust. Now we keep it going! https://t.co/JcqyeHZEgZ
— margueritte aozasa (@margaozasa) September 6, 2022