Bruins Blank San Diego, 3-0
Los Angeles, Calif. – No. 4 UCLA recorded its second shutout in three games, defeating San Diego, 3-0, on Tuesday afternoon. The Bruins received first-half goals from Reilyn Turner and Olivia Athens and a second-half screamer from Sunshine Fontes to improve to 3-0.
UCLA peppered San Diego's goal with 19 shots, 11 on goal. Torero goalkeeper Ellyn Casto made eight saves in the contest, including six in the first 16 minutes of the contest before Turner scored the first goal at 17:01. Jacey Pederson set Turner up for the goal, sending a magnificent long pass into the top of the box for Turner, who fired it into the upper left corner for her second goal of the year.
Freshman @reilynturner nets her second goal of the season. Thank you @DelanieSheehan and @JaceyPederson! #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/qITbLrqESq
— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) February 16, 2021
Athens doubled up the lead at 35:02 when she intercepted a pass and scored. The goal was her first since November 2018. Athens missed most of 2019 with a leg fracture.
Up 2-0 at the half, the Bruins kept pushing for more goals in the second. In the 56th minute, both Kaila Novak and Turner had good chances denied by Casto. But no one could have stopped Fontes' goal at 74:19. The redshirt freshman cracked a shot from long distance to put UCLA ahead 3-0. The goal was her second in as many games.
Goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy picked up the shutout, her second of the year, and made one save.
Nineteen players saw action for the Bruins, including Madelyn Desiano, who made her Bruin debut after coming back from a pair of ACL surgeries.
UCLA will next play on Feb. 26 at Arizona for the start of Pac-12 play.