In the final regular season game of the year, UCLA (6-6-4, 5-3-2 Big Ten), came back against No. 15 Washington (10-5-2, 7-3-0 Big Ten) to win a 4-2 thriller on Nov. 7 in a chilly Seattle evening at Husky Soccer Stadium. Entering the match as fourth in the Big Ten and a top-four finish needed to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament, the Bruins needed either a win or to match the result of fifth-place Indiana in order to secure a spot.
A back and forth frenzy of a match saw a combined 31 shots from both sides, a second-half red card that reduced Washington to 10 men and a hat trick from UCLA striker Sergi Solans Ormo, which increased his tally to 12 goals on the season and eight in his last three games. Second-half substitute Oliver Roche also added his name on the scoresheet, converting the go-ahead 3rd goal for the Bruins.
A busy first half included a plethora of big chances, most of which fell to Washington. Midfielder Joe Dale nearly opened the scoring for the Huskies early, using the outside of his right foot to glance a shot off the crossbar. Despite an injury to defender Asher Hestad, the Huskies continued to attack. Midfielder Zach Ramsey forced a big save from Bruin goalkeeper Kevin Box with a powerful left-footed shot in the 22nd minute. Minutes later, a scramble in the UCLA box forced defender Schinieider Mimy into a heroic goal-line clearance to maintain a scoreless line.
UCLA was rewarded for their defensive efforts in the 35th minute, striking first when Solans Ormo controlled the ball at the six-yard box and buried it in the bottom left corner. Sebastian Rincon claimed the assist as a result of his miscued shot. However, the Bruins’ initial lead lasted less than two minutes, as Husky Charlie Kosakoff leveled the score through a sliding tap-in that dribbled past Box. The first half ended with the sides even at 1-1.
The Huskies quickly grabbed a 2-1 lead in the 51st minute when a left-footed curler from Osato Enabulele tucked into the bottom left corner. The Bruins’ struggles quickly worsened when defender Tre Wright left the game with an injury suffered from Washington’s Kosakoff, who was given a yellow card for the offense. However, the momentum truly shifted when Kosakoff committed another hard foul in the 63rd minute, resulting in his second yellow card and ejection from the match.
Now holding a one-man advantage, an inspired UCLA would go on to score three goals in a 10 minute span. A 75th minute cross from Mimy deflected off Solans Ormo’s right foot and found the net from close-range to tie the game once again. Two minutes later, Roche would complete the comeback with his own right-footed shot, courtesy of a cross from Konstantinos Georgallides, which gave UCLA a 3-2 lead that wasn’t relinquished. To top it off, midfielder Zach Mastrodimos would win the ball in the opposing half, which led to Solans Ormo firing an excellent bottom-corner strike from the top of the box, securing his hat trick and the 4-2 win for the Bruins.
UCLA’s win is even more significant considering that Indiana was also victorious on Friday night with a 5-0 win over Rutgers. The No. 4 seeded Bruins will travel to face off against No. 1 seed Maryland in the semi-final match on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
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Featured Image Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife
