Ladies First: NCAA 2023 Opening Georgia Bulldogs UCLA Bruins

The opening week of NCAA sports is here. Women’s soccer kicked off Thursday  with some top matchups that will put those preseason rankings to the test. And what a time it is for women’s soccer. With the final rounds of the FIFA Women’s World Cup as a backdrop, the NCAA athletes are hungry to get out on the pitch.  

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UCLA's first goal of the 2023 campaign came courtesy junior defender Jayden Perry, who converted a penalty kick in the 23rd minute after Sunshine Fontes was fouled in the box. The goal was Perry's second of her career. The Bruins dominated possession in the first half, holding the Bulldogs to just two shots, both of which were saved by sophomore Neeku Purcell, who was making her first collegiate start in goal. UCLA had eight shots in the half, with Bulldog goalkeeper Jordan Brown saving five of those shots. Graduate forward Ally Cook doubled UCLA's lead in the 70th minute with a screamer from the top of the box. Cook collected a deflected ball and made a quick turn before firing a right-footed shot beyond Brown's reach. The goal was her sixth as a Bruin.

UCLA outshot Georgia in the game, 11-3. Purcell earned her first solo shutout after totaling five shared shutouts a year ago. Brown finished the game with two saves for the Bulldogs. "It was a good start to the season," said UCLA head coach Margueritte Aozasa. "We knew going into today that it probably was not going to be our best performance just because we haven't played in a long time, and that showed. I think our good moments were good, and our bad moments were bad, but it gives us something to work on." The Bruins will get back on the pitch on Sunday afternoon against Portland.