This post was updated Nov. 7 at 12:45 a.m.
When two teams meet again after a tie, there’s no precedent to lean on. Only 90 minutes to decide what the first match left unanswered.
And when that rematch comes in the offseason, the stakes are even higher.
When faced with a reprise of its own, No. 3 seed UCLA women’s soccer (11-4-4, 6-2-4 Big Ten) was defeated by No. 2 seed Michigan State (12-3-5, 8-1-3) 2-1 on Thursday evening at Energizer Park in St. Louis, relinquishing its opportunity for a second consecutive Big Ten Tournament title match. The win follows the 1-1 stalemate between the squads Sept. 18.
But the quest for victory proved more complicated for the squads – at the end of regulation, the match was locked in another 1-1 draw, sending the match into sudden-death overtime.
But Michigan State took control in overtime, ending the contest in the 94th minute. Freshman goalkeeper Daphne Nakfoor’s attempted pass out of the box to a teammate was intercepted by Spartan midfielder Emerson Sargeant, who drove the game-winner home for her second goal of the night.
“People make mistakes, all of us,” said coach Margueritte Aozasa. “If you have a long enough career, you’re going to make a mistake like that that loses the game, and it’s the worst feeling in the world. … I told them ‘There’s no tears after this game, right?’ The whole point of this game is to prepare us for playoffs, and we learned a lot that’s going to help us starting next week.”
The Bruins controlled the tempo from nearly the first touch, pressing the Spartans with heavy coverage and limiting their opponent to just 10 shots throughout the affair. UCLA displayed offensive dominance and precision with 15 shots, 7 of which were on frame.
With a championship berth on the line, the match carried intense tension and physicality. The Bruins and Spartans went sprawling in tangled challenges, hands grabbing at jerseys in the fight for possession. The chippy play prompted 37 fouls across the board – 24 for the Bruins alone – and a yellow card was issued to both sides.
The Bruin attack made its first move in the 11th minute, when senior forward America Frias slid a quick touch to redshirt senior Emma Egizii, who received the ball with her back to the goal. The midfielder spun 180 degrees, lasering a high-velocity shot into the left corner. Spartan goalkeeper Noelle Henning dove with arms outstretched, but the ball sailed beyond her grasp and into the net.
“In the first half, we really got control, playing to our style, and I think that’s where we thrived the most,” Egizii said. “We had a lot of dangerous moments.”
The goal marked Egizii’s fourth of the season. Junior midfielder Val Vargas and sophomore forward Kara Croone also stood out on the attack, recording three shots each.
However, the Spartans returned from the half with an offensive insurgence of their own, finding the equalizer in the 66th minute. Forward Kennedy Bell broke into the final third, drawing Nakfoor into a 1-v-1. But with Nakfoor distracted, Bell squared the ball across the goal to midfielder Emerson Sargeant, who tapped it into the right corner.
“The second half, we kind of played into the chaos of the game, and it kind of fell to the transitions,” Frias said. “And unfortunately, Michigan State got the best of that. They were able to capitalize.”
Michigan State nearly had the game-winner when forward Shelby Vaughn broke away from the mass, juking Nakfoor with just 10 minutes to go. But the Creston, Ohio, local overshot her touch and was unable to wrangle the ball into a viable shot on goal. Midfielder Kayla Briggs followed the opportunity up in the 86th minute, causing Nakfoor to dive and punch the ball away.
But ultimately, regulation dominance was not enough for the Bruins to move forward, and the Spartans capitalized when it mattered most.
“At the end of the day, we’re not going to win every single game, but we got to stay true to who we are, and it felt like we faltered in that a little bit today,” Aozasa said.
