The UCLA women’s soccer team’s Big Ten Tournament run came to an end Thursday night in St. Louis, Missouri as the No. 3 ranked Bruins fell 2–1 in extra time to No 2. ranked Michigan State. Emma Egizii opened the scoring early, but the Spartans fought back with two goals from Emerson Sargeant to advance to the championship match.
UCLA started strong, taking early control of possession and tempo against Michigan State. The Bruins’ pressure paid off in the 11th minute when Egizii found the back of the net with a precise right-footed finish into the bottom right corner, assisted by America Frias and Oruha Hayashi. The goal gave UCLA a 1–0 lead that held through halftime.
Michigan State came out strong to start the second half, quickly earning corners and free kicks to shift momentum. The Spartans’ persistence paid off in the 66th minute when Sargeant buried a right-footed shot into the top corner, assisted by Kennedy Bell, tying the match 1–1. The match grew physical, with UCLA conceding several fouls and a yellow card to Jennie Immethun.
In the final minutes, both teams traded chances. Kayla Briggs forced a crucial save from UCLA’s Daphne Nakfoor, while the Bruins’ late efforts went off target. Neither side found a winner, sending the Big Ten semifinal into extra time with the score locked at 1–1.
In extra time, Michigan State completed its comeback. After a few early fouls, Sargeant broke through again in the 94th minute, kicking a right-footed shot into the bottom corner to give the Spartans a 2–1 lead.
UCLA pushed forward with late substitutions and a near miss from Hayashi, but Michigan State’s defense stayed strong. Sargeant’s second goal proved decisive, sending the Spartans to the Big Ten Championship with a 2–1 victory.
UCLA now turns its attention to preparing for the NCAA Tournament, as they await their tournament seeding and opponent announcement. Meanwhile, Michigan State advances to face Washington, who defeated Wisconsin 2–1, in the Big Ten Championship on Nov. 9 at 11 a.m.
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Featured Image Photographed by Julia Gu/BruinLife
