Edwards Brace Leads UCLA Past No. 14 LMU, 2-1
LOS ANGELES – Freshman Aaron Edwards posted two goals in the second half to lead the UCLA men's soccer team to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over No. 14 Loyola Marymount on Thursday night at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
The brace represented the first two collegiate goals in Edwards's career, and helped UCLA improve to 8-4-0 overall on the season. The Lions dropped to 9-2-1.
Despite needing the late heroics from Edwards to guarantee the result, UCLA controlled the majority of the match. The Bruins ended the contest with a 65-35% advantage in possession and outshot the visitors 15-4.
The ball was in LMU's end for the overwhelming majority of the latter 45 minutes, leading to a number of scoring chances for the Bruins including both scores from Edwards.
His first, in the 69th minute, knotted the score up and came at the conclusion of a seven-pass, end-to-end attack from the Bruins. After a few passes in the back set up the attack, sophomore forward Grayson Doody set the Bruins loose in the attacking third with a long ball from the center line down the right wing for redshirt freshman Tucker Lepley. From there, Lepley got deeper into LMU territory before playing in a low cross. Edwards met the cross right around the penalty spot, and re-directed it inside the far post for his first collegiate goal.
First career goal for Aaron Edwards 🙌#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/IpONar6QSc
— UCLA Men's Soccer (@UCLAMSoccer) October 15, 2021
The Bruins continued to apply pressure, leading to a go-ahead goal from Edwards in the 83rd minute. The score came off a corner kick, with Lepley sending in an in-swinging ball. Making a vertical run down the middle of the box, Edwards leapt and met the ball at the edge of the six-yard box, heading it powerfully past the LMU keeper.
Aaron Edwards, off the corner, for the lead. #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/bTokNaQr4T
— UCLA Men's Soccer (@UCLAMSoccer) October 15, 2021
Despite being outscored 1-0 in the first, UCLA had the majority of possession and chances in the opening 45 minutes as well.
The Bruins had several chances to go ahead in the first half hour of the game – a Kevin Diaz flick off a corner went just wide of the far post in the 24th minute, and Tommy Silva had a header cleared off the line four minutes later – ultimately outshooting the Lions 7-1 in that span.
UCLA plays exclusively Pac-12 contests for the rest of the regular season, starting next week with a road trip to the Bay Area as the Bruins are scheduled to play at California on Thursday and at Stanford on Sunday.