Goal In 66th Minute Gives UCLA Win
Soccer News: Senior Kodi Lavrusky scored her fourth goal of the season to help UCLA earn a 1-0 shutout victory over Utah. The Bruins improve to 8-7-1, 4-3-1 in Pac-12 play, while the Utes drop to 5-9-3, 2-6-0.
Lavrusky’s goal was set up by defender Zoey Goralski, who sent a cross into the box that Utah tried to clear. The ball, however, bounced back towards the goal, where Lavrusky and Utah defender Janie Kearl were jockeying for position. Kearl got a touch on it, but Lavrusky stayed with it and tapped it in with her left for the game-winner at 66:47.
Prior to Lavrusky’s goal, the Bruins were victimized three times by the crossbar. MacKenzie Cerda was the first to hit wood, in the 22nd minute, just outside the box. Nine minutes later, Annie Alvarado hit a volley from nearly the same spot as Cerda’s shot to a similar result. And in the second half in the 65th minute, Amber Munerlyn stole a clearance by Utah and rocketed a shot that hit the right corner of the crossbar.
UCLA dominated possession in the game, outshooting Utah, 13-3. Bruin goalkeeper Siri Ervik, who earned her first career shutout, had to make just one save in the contest, early in the first half. The Bruins also led in corner kicks 9-2.
The Bruins play two pivotal games next week in the Bay Area against ranked opponents, facing California on Thursday, Oct. 29 and Stanford on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Photo Credit: Percy Anderson/UCLA Athletics
