Bruins face Alabama, looking for shot at title
Crimson Tide are second in the nation in scoring
The UCLA women's soccer team is motivated by winning. There's competition in games, at practice and even during team bonding.
“Winning is fun and awesome,” said freshman midfielder Sofia Cook. “So I know when we're all tired in the game, we just have that extra factor. Like, 10 more minutes. We got this.”
The desire to win has led the Bruins (20-2-1) to the College Cup, which commences with a 5:30 p.m. match today against fellow No. 1 seed Alabama (23-2-1) in North Carolina, a state where two wins in particular fed into UCLA's confidence.
Earlier this season in September, UCLA beat
Duke and North Carolina, which were ranked No. 2 and No. 1 at the time, on the road.
“I think that's when it really clicked,” senior midfielder Sunshine Fontes said. “I think that's when we all realized that we're capable of doing it.”
Heading into UCLA's first appearance in the College Cup since 2019, Fontes leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and 29 points — both career highs for the senior — and she's second on the team in assists with seven. She was named a secondteam All-Pacific player earlier this week along with fellow midfielder Ally Lemos.
Goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy (.847 save percentage), defender Lilly Reale and forward Reilyn Turner (nine goals, 21 points) were each named to the All-Pacific first team. Together, the team is outshooting opponents 421-174 this season and outscoring them 62-12.
Just as importantly, Fontes
Sunshine Fontes leads UCLA (20-2-1) in scoring with 11 goals and 29 points going into today's national semifinal.
is also part of a sixplayer senior class that's been critical in establishing first-year coach Margueritte Aozasa's culture.
“They have been the biggest catalyst in helping us establish trust within the team and I couldn't thank
them more of that,” Aozasa said. “As older players that were only going to be coached by us for 10 months max, they didn't have to do that.”
The Bruins will be tested from top to bottom in the NCAA semifinals today
UCLA vs. Alabama What: NCAA Women's College Cup Final Four
When: 5:30 p.m. today
Where: Cary, North Carolina
TV: ESPNU
against an Alabama team that has outshot opponents 528-219 season and takes an average of 20 shots per game.
The Crimson Tide ranks second in the nation in scoring offense with 2.92 goals per game. UCLA is seventh at 2.70 goals.
Forward Riley Mattingly Parker leads Alabama with 41 points (17 goals, seven assists) and is tied for sixth in the NCAA in total goals. Midfielder Felicia Knox leads the NCAA in assists with 20 in addition to seven goals.
“They're fit, they're athletic,” Fontes said. “They are quality opponents. Our team's ready and we're excited.”
Aozasa is in her first year with UCLA after helping guide Stanford to NCAA titles in 2017 and 2019 as an assistant coach. She's currently one of five AsianAmerican female head coaches in NCAA women's soccer and is the only woman coaching in the College Cup this year.
Getting the Bruins to the College Cup has been on her radar since she first interviewed for the UCLA head coach position. Like her players, she shares a deep desire to win the program's second tournament championship. The Bruins' first College Cup triumph came in 2013 in a thrilling 1-0 overtime victory over Florida State.
“Part of it is a little validating,” she said. “This has been on the bulletin board, something we've wanted to do from the beginning. I'm really happy that we got this far, but the ultimate goal is to win the whole thing.”