- The 2022 Women’s College Cup between UCLA and UNC featured a historic comeback.
- The Bruins scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to force overtime in the NCAA championship game.
- UCLA’s game winner, which came in double overtime, toppled the winningest program in DI football history.
The UCLA Bruins are the 2022 women’s soccer national champions.
But with 10 minutes remaining in Monday night’s Women’s University Cup final, it didn’t look like Margueritte Aozasa’s team had a prayer.
North Carolina junior Avery Patterson scored a pair of second-half goals, one in the 59th minute and one in the 75th, to give her Tar Heels a commanding lead in the staged title game. at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. Anson Dorrance’s team appeared to be on its way to securing its 22nd national championship in program history, by far the most in any Division I school.
UNC’s Avery Patterson (right) celebrates his second half goal against UCLA with teammates.
Eakin-Howard/Getty Images
Even so, UCLA kept its foot on the gas. And just five minutes after Patterson’s second hit, the Bruins broke through to cut the lead in half.
With 10 minutes left in the game, UCLA earned a free kick near midfield that Bruins defenseman Jayden Perry fired about 40 yards into the box. As a North Carolina defender headed the ball into the penalty box, UCLA’s Sunshine Fontes fired a one-touch shot straight at Tar Heels goalie Emmie Allen.
The ball bounced off Allen’s hands to the top of the box, where forward Lexi Wright volleyed into the back of the net.
—NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 6, 2022
Wright’s goal gave the Bruins and their fans a spark of hope, but as every second of regulation wore on, his prospects for a return seemed increasingly unrealistic. But unbelievably, UCLA seized their last chance to even the score.
The Bruins earned a corner kick with 30 seconds remaining, and by the time they were ready to start the set, another 10 seconds had fallen off the clock. UCLA’s Ally Lemos floated a beautiful cross just below the back post where her teammate Reilyn Turner got up and put her head on the ball to make sure the nearby playerOlympic found its way into the net.
Ballgame tied with 16 seconds remaining.
—ESPN (@espn) December 6, 2022
It took two 10-minute overtime periods to determine who would take home the college football crown. And with 3:20 remaining, Bruins star Maricarmen Reyes secured the throne with a thump to her right foot.
After Allen deflected a hard shot from UCLA’s Ally Cook, Reyes chased the deflection near the far post, turned his body toward the goal and sent the ball past Allen’s outstretched hand into the back of the net.
—NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 6, 2022
Three grueling minutes later, the final whistle blew to confirm the biggest comeback in the history of the Women’s University Cup. In Aozasa’s first year in charge, the Bruins had done the seemingly impossible and secured their second national championship trophy in program history.
