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It’s hard to believe, but this afternoon the UCLA women’s soccer team plays its final home game of the 2018 season against the Oregon State Beavers.
That means that today is Senior Day and seniors Julia Hernandez and Hallie Mace will be honored in pregame ceremonies that begin at 11:45 am.
The Bruins final three regular season games will be on the road as they travel to the mountain schools for games on Thursday and Friday before finishing off the season at the Stubhub Center in what will be a home game for Southern Cal.
Last Time Out
The Bruins won their fifth straight game on Thursday by beating Oregon, 2-1. Ashley Sanchez put the Bruins on the scoreboard first when she took a pass from Viviana Villacorta and dribbled around the Beavers goalkeeper for the score less than five minutes into the game.
But Oregon got an equalizer just 21 seconds later when Jazmin Jackon scored for the Ducks.
UCLA’s game-winner came in the 39th minute when Kennedy Faulknor took an Ashley Sanchez free kick and headed it home for the Bruins second goal of the game.
That's using your head, @KennedyJade_!#OREvsUCLA | #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/4NPnjMVUOO
— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) October 19, 2018
That would prove to be all the Bruins would need in their final game without Mace or Jessie Fleming as both players return today from duty on their respective national teams.
Oregon State Beavers
There really isn’t very much to be said about the Beavers. They are in last place in the Pac-12 Conference standings and have only won two games all season. One was against Dartmouth while their lone Pac-12 win was over UC Berkeley.
The Beavers have scored only six goals all season long. By comparison, UCLA has scored six goals in the Bruins’ last three games — games played without Mace and Fleming.
With two goals this season, McKenzie Weinert is the only Beaver to have scored more than one goal while UCLA has eight players who have scored multiple goals.
Outlook
This game shouldn’t be close at all. I’m expecting a clean sheet from Teagan Micah, but it’s possible that Amanda Cromwell will use today’s game to give Micah a break while getting backup keeper Lauren Brzykcy some additional experience.
Either way, I’m expecting the Bruins to put this game away early and big. My prediction is a 5-0 Bruin victory.
This is your UCLA women’s soccer vs. Oregon State open thread.
Go Bruins!!!