UCLA Wins 2013 Pac-12 Title

November 3, 2013
UCLA won its 11th conference championship and first since 2008 after a 2-0 victory over Oregon on Sunday. The second-ranked Bruins improved to 16-1-2 overall and 8-0-2 in the conference with one game remaining in the regular season. Oregon dropped to 4-11-3, 2-7-1 in the Pac-12.
 
The Bruins actually had the conference title sewn up just before kickoff after both second-place Stanford and third-place Utah lost, but that did not prevent the Bruins from doing what they needed to win the crown themselves. After a scoreless first half, the Bruin offense, particularly sophomore forwards Taylor Smith and Kodi Lavrusky, found the back of the net to give UCLA the shutout win.
 
Smith nabbed the game-winning goal at 60:40 with a shot in the box to the right post. Darian Jenkins' shot was blocked but found its way to Gabbi Miranda, who backheeled a pass off an Oregon defender right to Smith. Smith one-timed the shot past Oregon goalkeeper Abby Steele for her fourth goal of the year.
 
Abby Dahlkemper set up the Bruins' second goal at 80:22, sending a long pass across the field to Miranda on the left side. Miranda got ahead of the defense, crossed into the box. Chelsea Stewart was rushing in on the left side, and Steele came off her line to defend, but the ball skipped past both, and Lavrusky streaked in to clean up and net her fourth goal of the season. 
 
As the seconds ticked down, the Bruin bench doused first-year head coach Amanda Cromwell with a celebratory Powerade bath.  
 
"It's really exciting," Cromwell said about winning the conference championship. "The team is an awesome group of girls who have worked so hard. It was one of the goals of the season, and they went about their way very dedicated and determined to achieve the Pac-12 Championship." 
 
Katelyn Rowland recorded the shutout in goal for the Bruins, making three saves. She now has 10 shutouts this year and has lowered her goals against average to 0.32. UCLA as a team has a 0.31 goals against average.
 
The Bruins wrap up the regular season on Thursday at 5pm against cross-town rival USC. The match will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks.
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