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NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament: Arizona tops TCU; UCLA takes down SDSU

by Jonathan Hawthorne
Nov 10, 2017

The 2017 NCAA women's soccer tournament got underway Friday. The Pac-12, with seven teams in the tournament, had two teams in action on the tournament's opening night — Arizona and No. 2 UCLA.

Here's how the action went:

UCLA

UCLA 3, San Diego State 1

The No. 2-seeded Bruins dispatched visiting San Diego State to open their postseason schedule.

UCLA out-shot SDSU, 20-9, and jumped out to a fast start, scoring in the 16th minute on a crafty free kick by Anika Rodriguez.

After a handful of opportunities, Julia Hernandez connected for a huge UCLA goal in the 54th minute. Her sixth score of the season and fourth goal against SDSU gave UCLA all the momentum and a sizable 2-0 lead.

But the Aztecs showed some fight down the stretch. During the 63rd minute, SDSU cut the Bruins’ lead in half when Mia Root scored an unassisted goal following a takeaway.

Then, MacKenzie Cerda spoiled SDSU’s chances at an upset in the 85h minute, scoring on a line-drive shot to the net’s upper corner on an assist from Olivia Athens. The momentum returned to UCLA once again with a 3-1 cushion.

The Bruins now advance to face the winner of Northwestern-Butler. The two teams battle on Sunday afternoon. 

Arizona

Arizona 2, TCU 1

The Wildcats delivered two goals during the second half to punch their ticket to the second round where they'll face No. 4-seeded Florida State.

Facing a 1-0 deficit midway through the second, Samantha Falasco found the back of the net on a corner kick from Gabi Stoian for the much-needed equalizer.

Arizona's offensive attack didn't stop there. Cali Crisler scored from distance, roping a towering shot to the far end of the net. Her goal broke the tie in the 81st minute and provided a lead for Arizona goalkeeper Lainey Burdett to protect.

With the victory, the Wildcats extended their unbeaten streak to eight matches. The streak remains the second-longest in program history.

TCU opened the scoring after capitalizing on a free kick. The Horned Frogs scored in the 32nd minute, thanks to Emma Heckendorn's effort past the diving Arizona defense. TCU's Kayla Hill and Tijana Djuricek assisted on the goal.

Arizona's next opponent, Florida State, blanked Mississippi, 5-0, on Friday. The Seminoles (12-6-1) have posted an impresive 7-2 mark at home this season.

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