Ducks Fall to No. 10 UCLA on Late PK

Friday, October 2

Eugene, OR

6:00 PM

University of Oregon

6-4-2, 1-4-1

UCLA

8-3-1, 5-1-0

Team	1	2	Final F
UCLA	0	1	1
Oregon	0	0	0

10/02/26 | Women's Soccer

Box Score #10 UCLA 1, Oregon 0 Photo Gallery

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon played one of its most complete games of the season, but a penalty kick in the 89^th minute – awarded after a video review – allowed No. 10 UCLA to escape with a 1-0 decision Friday night in front of a capacity crowd at Papé Field.

"I am very proud of our team," said coach Tracy Joyner. "I think we played really well; the best we've played all season.

"For me, I think it gives us confidence in our team moving forward that we can play with anybody," said Joyner. "I'm very proud of our effort. Everyone that stepped on the field, and even how our bench acted, was professional. I'm gutted in some ways but mainly proud."

Oregon (6-4-2, 1-4-1) generated two of the best scoring chances during the run of play from Savannah Holley in the 63^rd minute and Lauren Hunter in the 86^th minute, the latter of which required a world-class save.

How It Happened: Oregon's defense stifled UCLA's attack in the first half. The Ducks held the Bruins to eight shots in the opening 45 minutes. On the rare occasion than Oregon's defense let a shot through, Duck goalkeeper Gray Willson was there for the save.

Willson made three saves in the first half and five in a second to finish with eight, one shy of her career high set against Stanford in 2024 while she was at Miami (Fla.).

"I 100 percent give credit to my defense," said Willson, who made a point-blank save on a Bruin shot in the 52^nd minute. "I think we did absolutely outstanding. I give credit to UCLA as well. They're a good team, but I think tonight was one of our best defensive performances across the board.

"My defense made it so much easier being able to make the saves more predictable for me and not giving them an easy shot," said Willson. "They made my job a little bit easier by being able to predict which way they were going to shoot."

The game opened up in the second half.

UCLA (8-3-1, 5-1-0) took five shots in the opening 15 minutes of the period, while the Ducks squeezed off two, one each from Ellie Felt and Giselle Fuentes Gonzales.

In the 63^rd minute, Holley went on the counterattack and got behind UCLA's defense down the left side. She drew UCLA keeper Daphne Nakfoor out of the net and lined a shot over a diving Nakfoor that went just wide of the far post.

In the 86^th minute, Hunter ripped a lightning-quick strike toward the top of the net from just outside the 18-yard box, but Nakfoor leapt high in the air and over to her left to knock the ball over the crossbar at the last second.

"Their goalkeeper had one of the best saves I've ever seen from a collegiate goalkeeper, so that game could've gone very differently," said Joyner. "We were right there a lot of the time, so it was good for us to be able to generate that many quality chances."

Two minutes later, Kara Croone converted the penalty kick for UCLA that proved to be the difference.

Notable: Willson's first save of the night was her 100^th career. … The seven goals now allowed by Oregon this season are still the program's best defensive effort in 45 years. The 1981 team yielded just five goals in its first 12 games. … The capacity crowd of 890 was the Ducks' second sellout of the season.

Quotable
Goalkeeper Gray Willson on UCLA's penalty kick.
"There's nothing I can do. The pressure is 100 percent on the forward and for me it's just to try and read it the best I can and cover my team. Unfortunately, it didn't go my way, but we'll get the next one."

Up Next: Oregon's four-match homestand continues Thursday against Penn State (6 p.m., B1G+).