The Bruins’ chances of making the Big Ten tournament hung in the hands of the final game of the season.
And when it mattered most, No. 25 UCLA (9-3-5, 4-3-3 Big Ten) left nothing on the table as it took down rival No. 6 Washington (10-4-3, 6-2-2) 1-0 in Wednesday’s battle on home turf, solidifying its spot in the Big Ten tournament.
Reaching the Big Ten tournament is not an unfamiliar feat for the Westwood side, as it has qualified through all three seasons in the Big Ten, taking home the championship last year.
The Bruins opened the match firing, with senior defender Tre Wright taking a shot within the first seven minutes of the game but unable to find the back of the net.
They maintained pressure in the Huskies’ half of the field with a strong attack consisting of junior midfielder Jaime Amaro, fifth-year forward Finot Pie and senior forward Oliver Roche, who sent through-balls past Husky defenders in addition to crosses into the box that resulted in six first-half shots from the home team.
“You have good players so they can do good things,” said coach Ryan Jorden. “Oliver was in the one-vs-one, (junior midfielder) Zach Neuls got a side footer there at the back post that you would like to score, and on a different night maybe we’re two nil up, and the game’s a little different. But I thought in general, the guys just put a really good organized performance in, and they were disciplined throughout.”
After halftime, both squads seemed to increase the intensity.
Junior defender Shakir Nixon immediately drove downfield, and an attempt to stop his breakaway secured a Bruin corner kick. Another breakthrough from Nixon was followed by a lobbed cross set up sophomore midfielder Ander Marticorena for a bicycle kick on a shot unable to reach the net.
Tensions were high in the rivalry game, with UCLA’s Marticorena, junior midfielder Albert Ruiz and fifth-year forward Diego Castano receiving yellow cards, alongside Washington midfielder Wyatt Lewis.
Washington pushed into UCLA’s box and sent a shot on goal, forcing a save by freshman goalkeeper Tristan Shaw, the first of two saves during the game. This was Shaw’s fourth start of the season and his first full-game shutout.
“I give (Shaw) all the props for his performance today,” said Nixon. “The fact that he had to make so many different pitches maybe says some things about us in the back needing to be a little bit better and need to watch film with the coach and make some improvements. But I think we did an amazing job.”
Both teams continued to fight, when eventually Castano found the ball. He took a few dribbles and launched the ball before crossing the half field line.
The ball soared over Stockton’s head as he ran toward the goal and landed in the back of the net. The goal – Castano’s team-high eighth of the season – gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
“I’m honestly very impressed with my goal. The goal, in the end, had a touch of luck, but overall very content and very happy to have been able to help out the team,” Castano said. “My favorite memory is definitely this goal – I’ll never forget it. Overall, it’s been a beautiful season and unforgettable.”
Despite additional efforts from the Huskies through the remaining 36 minutes of the match, they were unable to find an equalizer, and the final whistles secured the victory.
With the win over Washington, UCLA earned the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten tournament and is set to face No. 3 seed Rutgers on Sunday in Seattle, Washington.
“I think our level of play is great, we have a great team and we’re like a family even in the locker room, and I think that is reflected on the field,” Castano said. “We are in this situation because of small details, and it brought us to the next round. Now we want to demonstrate that we are the best.”
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