Bruins Bring WWLL Championship Back to Westwood
Another rematch was set to take place in the semifinal game, as UCLA faced UCSB, who beat SDSU in their opening game 13-12. In the first ten minutes of the game, the Bruins dictated the pace and flow of the game, resulting in a 6-1 lead. After a Gaucho timeout, UCSB narrowed the gap to 9-5 at the half. In the second half, the Bruins continued to attack and exploit the Gaucho defense, but were unable to convert on numerous shots as the ball kept hitting the goal pipe. UCLA withstood any comeback attempt by the Gauchos by controlling the draw and making disciplined decisions to pull out a 14-11 win. The Bruins met #1 seed Santa Clara in the WWLL Championship game for the first time this season. As expected, the contest was competitive as both teams fought back and forth to create any sort of narrow margin. Despite not scoring a goal for 15 minutes of the first half, the Bruins were able to close out the half tied 6-6 with the Broncos. After trading two goals a piece, UCLA snuck a shot past the Santa Clara goalie for a 9-8 lead with 12:39 remaining. Weathering several Bronco attemps to tie the score, the Bruins held on to top Santa Clara and win the WWLL Championship. UCLA received an automatic bid to WCLA Nationals in Virginia Beach, VA May 6-10 for winning the WWLL Championship. The Bruins await seeding and the release of the entire tournament field tomorrow night. The UCLA 'B' squad defeated UC Davis 'B' to take home 3rd place from Championship weekend, after a tough overtime loss to UCSB 'B' on Saturday. Congratulations to all Bruins who were recognized at the league award ceremony on Saturday for their accomplishments throughout the year! WWLL Division 1 All-League: Martine Ehrlich - Goalie, First Team Sam Fletcher - Midfield, First Team Chloe Silance - Attack, First Team Molly Tracy - Midfield, First Team Kristin Alexander - Midfield, Second Team Gretchen Kiep - Midfield, Second Team WWLL Division 1 All Tournament Team: Sam Fletcher - Midfield Molly Tracy - Midfield Gretchen Kiep - Midfield WWLL Division 1 Coach of the Year - Paige Lin WWLL B Division All-League: Blake Egozi - Attack LeeAnn Patrick - Midfield Natalia Vargas - Goalie WWLL B Division Player of the Year - Melanie Shiao WWLL B Division Coach of the Year - Laurel Ormiston
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Ranked 5th in the nation, UCLA was the second seed behind Santa Clara (6th in the nation) for the WWLL Championship Tournament in Santa Barbara, CA. In the first round, the Bruins faced a rematch against UC Davis whom they beat in the season opener 8-7 in overtime. Despite a slow start putting the Bruins in a 3-0 deficit to open the game, UCLA responded to open up a 8-5 lead at the half. A balanced and patient Bruin attack kept the Aggies from ever mounting a comeback, prevailing with a 14-8 victory to move to the semifinal game. Copyright 2024 - UCLA Women's Lacrosse | Website by LaxTeams.net