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Top Ranked UCLA Wins 12-8 At UCSB

Box Score

Feb. 7, 2015

Santa Barbara, CA -  Top ranked UCLA won 12-8 in a game in the rain at 9th ranked UCSB.  The Bruins were fueled by 5 goals from WCLA Preseason Player-Of-The-Year candidate Gretchen Kiep (Haddonfield, NJ). UCLA won the draw control battle 15-8 and outshot the Gauchos 29-13 but UCSB stayed in the game with an outstanding performance in front of the net by Kaitlyn Pike (Seaholm, MI). The freshman goalie had 15 saves for 55.6% for UCSB. The play was close enough throughout the contest that a few more loose ball possessions gained and more efficient clearing by UCSB and they could have been in position to steal the game from the Bruins. It didn't look like that at first. Kiep scored unassisted for UCLA to start the game after controlling the loose ball on the first draw. Kiep moved onto attack after her possession and was only slightly contested as she put in the first goal 31 seconds into the game. Kiep also scored the second goal of the game for the Bruins 1:28 later and UCLA led 2-0 in a little over two minutes. 

UCSB responded and the two teams scored three goals each over the next 27 minutes. As time was winding down it looked to be a 2 goal game at halftime. Then with a quick strike play following a failed UCSB clear the Bruins led 6-3 at halftime. After UCLA scooped up a UCSB turnover on a clear freshman Bailey Greene (Annapolis, MD) pulled off an inside roll dodge that made it a 3 goal lead at intermission. Greene's goal with 12 seconds left in the half put some distance between the Bruins and the Gauchos. Notably, UCSB and UCLA were mostly even on scoring except the Bruins scored two of their six first half goals in early-into-play and then, later, a last-moment situation in the first half. Aside from the two UCLA goals in the first minute and then in the last minute UCSB was hanging tough. Kiep scoring four first half goals helped UCLA. 

The first goal of the second half appeared to be scored for UCSB by Mari Cajandig (Davis, CA) but a late call was for a charge despite no contact from every angle but one and the goal was disallowed. Cajandig led UCSB with 3 goals and scored two of them in the second half after the call. Despite some deflation from that the Gauchos were still fighting and within striking distance when junior Kelsey Trepa (Mission Viejo, CA) passed to senior Molly Meek (Los Angeles, CA) cutting backdoor and she scored. It was 7-5 UCLA with just under 15 minutes remaining in the game. It was Meek's second goal of the game. There was more up and down play between both teams but it was the Bruins who outscored UCSB 4-3 to take an 11-8 lead before UCSB pressed out to try to break a UCLA stall, using goal keeper Pike to double team. UCLA scored an empty net goal for the final 12-8 victory

UCLA improves to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in WWLL Central while the Gauchos drop to 2-1, 1-1. Both teams play next in games at the 27th Annual Santa Barbara Shootout. The Gauchos will face Oregon State in a 6:00pm game on February 12th and UCLA will play the 14th ranked club from University of Colorado, Boulder at 8:00pm on February 13th. The Bruins and the Gauchos face two of the same opponents at the Shootout. Both will play Colorado and Georgia in a flip-flop scenario. UCSB faces Colorado first and UCLA faces Georgia first.