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Week 13 Recap
Daily Soccer Podcast
The UCLA women’s soccer team won its first NCAA championship since 2013 in extraordinary fashion. The Bruins took a 3-2 victory over North Carolina fueled by a thrilling late comeback lead to the victory on Monday after two extra-time periods.
UCLA became the first team in College Cup history to come back from two goals down and win the title. Meanwhile, Margueritte Aozasa became the first rookie coach in NCAA women’s soccer to win a title. Her team wrapped up the 2022 season with a 22-2-1 overall record.
“That was incredible, I can’t say enough about the belief this team has and the care they have for each other,” said Aozasa. “The rollercoaster of emotion I think we all felt, I cried many times during that game – happy and sad. We’ve said from the beginning of these playoffs that our care and love for each other and love for this program was going to be what was going to carry us through, and you saw that (Monday).”
This moment >#WCollegeCup x @UCLAWSoccer pic.twitter.com/Av9GQFCsQj
UNC had a 2-0 lead with 10 minutes remaining in regulation time thanks to two goals by Avery Patterson. UCLA was not ready to give up and continued attacking. In the 80th minute, UCLA sophomore forward Lexi Wright finally scored her team’s first goal of the night. That sequence started with a long UCLA free kick that was initially headed out by a Tar Heel defender. The ball found its way to UCLA senior forward Sunshine Fontes but her shot attempt was saved by UNC goalkeeper Emmie Allen. Allen couldn’t hang on to the ball though, and Wright capitalized on the rebound by burying the ball in the bottom-right corner of the net.
It still looked like Tar Heels would walk away with the title, but UCLA had a corner kick with 20 seconds remaining on the clock. This was going to be UCLA’s last chance and there was no time to waste, so Reilyn Turner took full advantage of it and found the equalizer with a header with just 16 seconds left. The net shook, and so did the nearly 10,000 fans in attendance at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. witnessing the comeback.
Is this real life?? @allyylemos @reilynturner 🤯
pic.twitter.com/H3VhXKPpos
The first overtime period went scoreless, but graduate midfielder Maricarmen Reyes helped her team avoid penalty kicks with a goal in the 107th minute off a rebound of an Ally Cook shot.
“I honestly just went into shock. I literally couldn’t even believe it because there was what, four minutes left?” she said after the game. “If my team didn’t push me and push me… I don’t think I would’ve been in that spot to be ready to score. I went into shock, ran to the ran to crowd, the bench, and literally just tears.”
🚨 UCLA TAKES THE LEAD IN OVERTIME 🚨
📺 @ESPNU #WCollegeCup pic.twitter.com/cBpdeHmgRG
This became UCLA’s second national title, with the first one coming in 2013 under Amanda Cromwell. UCLA had four players make the All-Tournament Team with Turner selected as the Most Outstanding Offensive Player and sophomore Lilly Reale being named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Wright and midfielder Ally Lemos received All-Tournament Best XI honors.
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