#6 UCLA Edges UMass Women's Soccer, 2-1

by Jillian Jakuba
August 19, 2012
<p>The UMass women's soccer team played level with #6 UCLA in the opening half, but a redirection off a free kick in the 52nd minute lifted the Bruins past the Minutewomen, 2-1 in front of a packed house at Rudd Field on Sunday afternoon. With the setback, UMass opens up 2012 at 0-1-1, while UCLA moves to 1-0-0.</p> <p>Midway through the first half, the Bruins capitalized on a rebound to take a 1-0 advantage. After Minutewomen netminder&nbsp;<a href="http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/gordon_stephanie00.html">Stephanie Gordon</a>&nbsp;came up with a pair of stops in the 22nd minute, she turned aside an Ally Courtnall strike, but the loose ball found its way to the feet of Kodi Lavrusky. Lavrusky lofted the rebound over Gordon to put UCLA on the board in the 25th minute.</p> <p>UMass saw its first scoring change materialize in the 31st minute, but the squad was whistled for offsides. Then with the half winding down, junior&nbsp;<a href="http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/moore_brittany00.html">Brittany Moore</a>&nbsp;took a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that was stopped by Bruins' goalkeeper Alana Munger. However, sophomore&nbsp;<a href="http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/mattsson_moa00.html">Moa Mattsson</a>&nbsp;was there to knock in the rebound and level the score at 1-1 at 43:03 with her second goal of her career.</p> <p>Early in the second half, though, UCLA managed to retake the lead off a set piece. Abby Dahlkemper redirected a hard-hit ball that came from Chelsea Stewart to the right of the UMass net at 51:04 for the would-be game-winner.</p> <p>In the final 39 minutes, shots were nearly even between the two squads, with the Minutewomen generating the majority of the scoring chances. UMass' best opportunity to net an equalizer came in the 66th minute. Freshman<a href="http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/coppola_jen00.html">Jen Coppola</a>&nbsp;was hauled down on her shot attempt just outside the box at 65:49. On the ensuing free kick, junior<a href="http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/coombs_grace00.html">Grace Coombs</a>&nbsp;was denied first by the Bruins' defense and then by Munger.</p> <p>The Bruins finished with a 29-8 shot advantage and led in corner kicks, 7-3. Fouls were 9-8 against UCLA. Gordon finished with 11 saves for the Minutewomen to tie her career high, while Munger totaled four stops.</p> <p>UMass will be back in action this Wednesday, Aug. 22, with a match at Bryant at 3:30 p.m.&nbsp;</p>
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