This post was updated Oct. 16 at 9:11 p.m.
UCLA women’s soccer (8-4-2, 4-2-2 Big Ten) is back for a dual-match slate, facing No. 5 Iowa (10-2-3, 5-1-2) on Thursday night and Nebraska (7-3-5, 2-3-3) on Sunday afternoon at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The Hawkeyes notched wins against Maryland (6-9, 6-2) on Oct. 9 and No. 16 Michigan State (7-3-5, 4-1-3) on Oct. 12, and they boast a 4-1-1 away record this season. The Cornhuskers did not concede a single goal across their last two victories against Purdue (5-8-3, 2-5-1) and Maryland. Sports staff writer Chloe Agas provides insight into players to watch this weekend from 5,998 miles across the pond.
Iowa:
Goals per game: 2.07
Goals allowed per game: 0.87
X-factor: Attacking form
The Bruins’ next challenge is against the Hawkeyes’ top-10 squad.
The Hawkeyes come into this matchup as the No. 2 squad in the Big Ten, trailing the Huskies by three points. With 31 combined goals across 15 matches, Iowa boasts one of the Big Ten’s highest scoring offenses, punching in record totals with a 5-0 win against Missouri State and 5-3 victory over then-No. 18 Michigan State.
Forward/midfielder Kelli McGroarty, who suffered injury setbacks last season, leads the team in scoring with six goals across 15 games played. McGroarty tallied four out of the five goals against Missouri State earlier this season, breaking the Hawkeyes’ individual single-game scoring record.
Midfielder/forward Liana Tarasco bolsters Hawkeyes’ offensive depth. Tarasco has scored four goals in 15 games during her inaugural collegiate season so far. The freshman logged her first goal in the season-opening match against Arkansas, contributing to the Hawkeyes’ 3-2 win.
Forward/midfielder Kenzie Roling and forward/midfielder Berkley Binggeli have scored three goals each. Roling scored six goals and notched 11 starts during her freshman season. Now in her fifth year, she has recorded 5,556 minutes on the pitch. Binggeli, on the other hand, made 17 appearances during the 2024 season, and has been the team’s dark horse this year, scoring the tie-breaking goal against Purdue in the 89th minute to secure the 2-1 victory.
The Hawkeyes outshot Maryland 27-3 and Michigan State 16-14, recording 22 shots on target and seven goals across those two matches.
The Bruins’ defense must go all in if it wants to capture a victory against the Hawkeyes to break its winless streak.
Nebraska:
Goals per game: 1.47
Goals allowed per game: 0.18
X-factor: Defensive structure
Goalkeeper Cece Villa is the Husker’s defensive backbone. The Altoona, Iowa, local tallied 44 saves and allowed 16 goals throughout the 2024 season. Villa recorded a season-high eight saves against Colorado State and recorded five or more denials in five matches during the 2024 season.
Villa has built upon her resume this season, logging 45 saves to increase her career total to 91. Villa recorded eight saves against Iowa on Sept. 28 and six saves against Missouri State on Aug. 17.
The Huskers’ backline has limited opponents to 12 goals across 15 matches, and their offense has recorded 17.67 shots per game. The Huskers have also posted 106 shots on goal to their opponents 61.
Despite entering their three-game away stretch riding an eight-game unbeaten streak, the Bruins did not capture a single win across their road trip, recording a pair of losses against Washington and No. 15 Wisconsin along with a tie against Minnesota.
The Bruins averaged 13 shots per game against their opponents but did not clinch a victory across those matchups. Despite boasting a 69% increase in output from 65 first-half shots to 110 in the second, the Bruins still struggled to convert these shot opportunities into consistent scoring.
The Bruins need more than a formidable backline unit to keep the Huskers at bay.
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