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UCLA Comes Back to Beat ASU in Overtime, 4-3

by uclabruins.com
Oct 3, 2021
Olivia Athens

Tempe, Ariz. – Graduate student Olivia Athens scored the golden goal in the sixth minute of overtime to complete UCLA's stunning 4-3 comeback victory at Arizona State.

The third-ranked Bruins (10-0-1, 2-0-1 in the Pac-12) scored the game's first goal in the sixth minute only to see the Sun Devils (8-3-1, 0-2-1) score three consecutive goals in the 10th, 12th and 24th minutes. However, UCLA tied it up with a pair of goals less than a minute apart, and Athens ended the game with her game-winner in the 96th minute.

Mia Fishel gave UCLA an early lead at 5:42 with her team-leading ninth goal of the season. The goal was a true team goal that started with goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy sending a ball to Marley Canales, who sent a long ball to Michaela Rosenbaum down the right side. Rosenbaum dropped in a ball to Maricarmen Reyes in the box, and Reyes high-kicked it over the head of charging ASU goalkeeper Birta Gudlaugs to a wide-open Fishel, who easily finished.

Arizona State had a quick answer at 9:51, however, as Jazmine Wilkinson headed in a free kick from Eva van Deursen to equalize. The Sun Devils took the lead a little under two minutes later on a goal by Pac-12 scoring leader Nicole Douglas, her 13th goal of the season. Douglas helped ASU score its third goal in under 14 minutes, assisting on van Deursen's goal at 23:17 to go up 3-1 on the Bruins.

But UCLA kept its composure and quickly made up ground. At 28:45, the Bruins earned a corner kick, one of 15 they had in the game. Graduate student Marley Canales sent the corner kick into the near post, where it ricocheted off Gudlaugs into the back of the net to trim the lead to 3-2. And not even a minute later, at 29:33, sophomore Dasia Torbert netted her first career goal, firing in a rebound off a Quincy McMahon ball that went off the post.

After combining for six goals in the first half, the two teams were unable to score in the second half, although the Bruins did total 14 shots in the half, including an Athens shot just outside the box that was saved in the 54th minute and a Fishel header off a corner kick that went just high in the 70th minute.

The Sun Devils threatened as well, sending a dangerous free kick into the box in the 67th minute that UCLA goalkeeper Lauren Brzykcy made the stop on. Brzykcy also had a great save on a breakaway in the 69th minute, and Jayden Perry disrupted Douglas right in front of goal in the 72nd minute.

In the overtime period, Arizona State had a good look in the 94th minute, but the cross into the box just missed the runner. Soon thereafter, UCLA took the ball down the field, and McMahon's cross in the box got past Gudlaugs and right to Athens, whose shot beat a pair of Sun Devil defenders for her second goal of the season and her second career overtime winner.

UCLA outshot Arizona State, 25-13, and held a 15-1 corner kick advantage. Brzykcy made six saves, while Gudlaugs had three.

The Bruins, who are unbeaten in their last 18 games, will next host Utah on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7pm.

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