This post was updated Oct. 29 at 12:41 a.m.
In a sport built on suspense, soccer matches can end in a tie – even a scoreless one.
The concept of a scoreless 90 minutes may sound monotonous.
But the crowd was anything but subdued Sunday afternoon.
No. 18 UCLA women’s soccer (10-4-3, 6-2-3 Big Ten) closed out its regular season with a 0-0 tie against crosstown rival USC (7-6-3, 4-5-2). Roars from a sold-out Wallis Annenberg Stadium could be heard from Moore Hall, despite the scoreless conclusion as blue-clad fans jumped out of their seats at every scoring opportunity, even directing derogatory shouts at the referees.
“This (was) my first ever rivalry game,” said freshman forward Leena Powell. “This is something that I dreamed about growing up. I’m based in LA and everything, and it was insane. … You hear the crowd screaming, saying whatever they want, and it’s just a type of energy that’s completely different than any other game. So, I thought it brought us energy.”
Following a similar script as many of their scoreless affairs, the Bruins’ attack still dominated, sporting 19 shots to the Trojans’ six. UCLA also nabbed more set pieces, notching 11 corner kicks to USC’s seven.
But the Bruins’ first-half offense was largely stifled, encountering a high-energy Trojan back line that forced double – and sometimes triple – coverage situations in the final third. Forward Bella Winn drew considerable attention, with defenders playing tight on the redshirt freshman from the opening whistle, at times almost piggybacking her step for step.
The Trojan offense sprinted at Bruin defenders even when the home squad controlled the ball on its side of the field, which limited the Bruins’ decision-making time.
“Coming into halftime, usually we’re really positive,” Powell said. “We just wanted to say, ‘We need more energy. … We have to put it all out there.’ Our energy was just a little bit low. We just had to pick it up, communicate with each other, work together.”
The Bruin attack controlled possession throughout the second half, recording more than three-fourths of its attempts after the first half. UCLA generated multiple breakaways past the USC back line, but off-frame finishes and saves from goalkeeper Bella Grust kept the match scoreless.
Grust finished with a standout performance, matching her career-high of seven saves. The goalkeeper also showcased resiliency, as she closed out the match despite taking a hit to her upper body that forced a several-minute stoppage.
UCLA’s back line found its own success, limiting USC to zero shots on frame – the second time the UCLA defense has done so this season – marking its 12th shutout of 2025. Key stops from defenders senior Jennie Immethun and sophomore Paloma Daubert supported the defensive effort.
“I haven’t been this tired after a game in a long time,” Immethun said. “I wanted nothing but to not let the other team score. Honestly, for my last year, it was a really good rivalry game.”
The energy of the rivalry led to messier play at times, with frequent turnovers and long clearances between both squads. Teams also combined for 17 fouls, and the Trojans earned a yellow card in the 84th minute.
The squads still showed moments of compassion despite the underlying tension. When Trojan Maribel Flores went down with a cramp in the second half, Immethun rushed to stretch the forward’s leg, and senior forward America Frias offered Flores water.
“It’s a good friendship,” Immethun said, adding that the pair played together over the summer on a 7-on-7 summer team. “And now, even though it’s a rivalry game, she’s one of the best players on her team, and I’m the one defending her – it really doesn’t matter.”
The draw helped USC secure the final spot in the Big Ten tournament, while UCLA nabbed the No. 3 seed and is now set to face No. 6 seed Penn State on Nov. 1.
A rematch between the crosstown rivals remains possible in the Nov. 6 semifinal, should both teams advance.
“I thought we put on a show today,” said coach Margueritte Aozasa. “The only thing that was missing was the grand finale.”
Comments are closed.