This post was updated Aug. 30 at 11:15 p.m.
Women’s Soccer
Momentum can make or break a match.
And UCLA entered its game against Long Beach State on a losing streak, following two defeats to ranked opponents. After a weak first half featuring only two shots, the Bruins’ momentum seemed to match that of their previous two contests – solidified by the penalty kick they conceded to the Beach in the 36th minute.
As freshman goalie Daphne Nakfoor lined up to defend the shot – standing eye to eye with Long Beach forward Natelle El Mokbel – Wallis Annenberg Stadium went completely silent.
Nakfoor dove to her left, deflecting El Mokbel’s attempt. The crowd and sidelines erupted in cheers – and the team’s momentum shifted.
“Everybody was trusting in me, and that’s the biggest thing,” Nakfoor said. “I knew that I was going to come up big.”
No. 23 UCLA women’s soccer (2-2) shut out Long Beach State (1-4) 2-0 on Friday, earning its first victory since its season opener against Georgia. The squad fell to then-No. 6 Tennessee and then-No. 19 BYU last week – an uncharacteristic start for the Bruins, who had not dropped back-to-back matches since 2019.
UCLA hit the ground running after a slow first half in which it was outshot by Long Beach, with young players stepping up to put the Bruins on the board.
“Our attack was way better today, and we had a momentum drop, but we adjusted at halftime,” said freshman forward Payten Cooper. “We built our confidence back, and we came back stronger.”
Cooper earned her first collegiate goal when she headed a ball from fellow freshman forward Leena Powell. The shot crossed into the right side of the goal, securing the Bruins’ first score five minutes into the second half.
Junior forward Oruha Hayashi also registered her first NCAA goal, netting a pass from freshman midfielder Grace Shank to the goal’s upper right corner in the 65th minute.
Sophomore keeper Mariangela Medina made her collegiate debut in the second half, notching a save when she pushed an overshot free kick over the crossbar. The Bruins’ lineup features three goalies – Medina, Nakfoor and sophomore Layla Armas – who are vying for the starting position following the graduation of standout Ryan Campbell.
Sophomore goalkeeper Mariangela Medina deflects a shot over the crossbar. (Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon/Daily Bruin senior staff)
“Tonight, I was really proud,” said head coach Margueritte Aozasa. “We had a lot of players – newer players to the program – play significant minutes, and I thought they did a really nice job.”
Aozasa said the team focused on having a sustained attack and taking shots on frame, which the squad achieved seven out of 10 times. The Bruins saw improvement in both areas during Friday’s match, she added.
But Aozasa also noted that the team “started to panic” late in the first half, which came to a head with El Mokbel’s penalty kick. In the second half, the team played with more confidence, she said, adding that she hopes that play is “more indicative” of who the squad can be.
The Bruins will need to invoke that same confidence in their matchup against No. 1 Stanford on Sunday, Nakfoor said.
“The biggest thing is just having confidence in ourselves. … Our team captains have done a great job of saying that, ‘Whatever happened in the past, we just need to look onto the next game,’” said Nakfoor. “We needed this win, and hopefully this will just propel us for the rest of the season.”
Men’s Soccer
UCLA men’s soccer huddles up during its match against Cal State Fullerton. (Andrew Diaz/Photo editor)
After beating a sliding defender and dribbling within a few feet of the goal, Oliver Roche chipped the ball over the goalkeeper.
The junior forward’s shot elicited cheers – and perhaps a sigh of relief – from the fans at Wallis Annenberg Stadium as the ball reached the back of the net.
Not only was it Roche’s first goal as a Bruin, but it also marked the team’s first goal of the season, ending a 246-minute scoring drought.
UCLA men’s soccer (0-2-1) tied Cal State Fullerton (1-0-2) 1-1 Thursday night in its second home match of the season.
Excitement surged midway through the second half of the otherwise scoreless affair when Fullerton’s Jose de la Torre’s bicycle kick goal put the Titans on the board in the 66th minute. The lead was short-lived, since Roche’s goal less than a minute later pulled the Bruins even.
Junior Philip Naef, UCLA’s reigning assists leader, set up fellow Danish teammate Roche – who scored three game-winning goals across two years at Virginia Tech – earning the defender-turned-midfielder UCLA’s first assist of the season. Naef is also tied with sophomore midfielder Tamir Ratoviz and redshirt sophomore forward Sergi Solans Ormo for the team lead in shots, each of whom has recorded five thus far in the 2025 campaign.
Junior forward Oliver Roche eyes an incoming pass. Roche recorded his first goal with the Bruins — and the team’s first of the season — Thursday night. (Andrew Diaz/Photo editor)
The Bruins held steady with the Titans throughout the contest. Both squads recorded four shots on goal, four corner kicks and three saves – the latter of which came from a pair of freshmen goalkeepers on opposite ends of the field.
Ryan Tiltack guarded the net for UCLA. The Toronto local took over the starting position from junior Wyatt Nelson – who posted a 73.6% save percentage across 13 games last season – during Sunday’s contest against California, and Tiltack has played every minute since.
UCLA’s 12 total shots just edged out Fullerton’s 10, marking the first time UCLA has managed to outshoot an opponent this season. Coach Ryan Jorden’s squad has trailed 26 to 10 across its first two games.
Six offside calls against the Bruins – compared to zero on the Titans – limited the team’s ability to break through Fullerton’s back line. Only two players in Naef and Roche recorded shots on goal.
The match against the Titans showcased Jorden’s seemingly solidified starting lineup. All 11 starters carried over from the Cal game, apart from freshman defender Kian Concepcion, with redshirt junior midfielder Sebastian Rincon taking the mantle. Only six of the 11 made starts for the Bruins last season.
Freshman midfielder Ander Marticorena dribbles over a sliding defender. Marticorena has started the past two games for the Bruins. (Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Thursday night’s draw came less than a year after Fullerton handed a then-ranked No. 6 UCLA its first loss of last season. Fullerton’s victory in 2024 was the first time the program had bested UCLA in back-to-back seasons since the 1998-99 campaigns. The 2025 season is also the first time since 2011 that the Bruins have started a season winless after more than two games.
UCLA continues its hunt for a win against No. 18 Kentucky Monday night on the road.