UCLA women move on in soccer

Bruins shut out North Carolina State and advance to the NCAA quarterfinals; USC is eliminated.

The UCLA women’s soccer team left no room for doubt with its third 5-0 win of the NCAA tournament, this time against visiting N.C. State on Sunday.

UCLA will face North Carolina in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Cary, N.C.

“This team, I think, is clicking and peaking at the right time,” coach Amanda Cromwell said.

It took only five minutes for Jessie Fleming to find a hole in the Wolfpack defense. She drilled a low shot to the left that gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead — the assist credited to Ashley Sanchez and Olivia Athens.

By the 10-minute mark, UCLA took five shots, one on goal, with two corner kicks.

“We’ve been scoring a lot as a team,” Fleming said. “And I think it was just good to get on the score sheet early and kind of get the momentum on our side.”

Sanchez connected with Fleming again in the 21st minute. She found Fleming open, poised in front of the goal and launched a corner to her teammate.

Fleming booted the ball to the same spot as her previous goal, extending UCLA’s lead to 2-0.

Sanchez set the UCLA record for assists in the NCAA tournament with six.

“It’s just how dynamic she’s been,” Cromwell said. “She’s just been so creative in setting everybody else up.”

The UCLA defense did not allow the Wolfpack to take a shot until the 33rd minute as the Bruins dominated possession and outshot N.C. State 15-2 in the first half that culminated with Rodriguez’s goal.

UCLA outshot the Wolfpack 26-5, tacking on two more goals in the final 10 minutes.

The Bruins earned another convincing win, boosting their confidence.

“We’re gonna keep building off that,” Sanchez said.