Heading into this week, UCLA held the No. 3 ranking in NCAA Division I Women's Soccer but faced a daunting East Coast trip to play No. 2 Duke on Thursday and No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday afternoon. Well, get ready for a new No. 1 across the land because UCLA won both of them.
On Thursday, it was junior forward Reilyn Turner who earned a penalty for UCLA's first and then scored the all-important second in her team's 2-1 victory at the Blue Devils.
A look at the game-winner from @reilynturner to beat No. 2 Duke!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/XhmPktFMHO
— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) September 2, 2022
That was Turner's first of the season.
The USYNT U-20 player was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2020 while scoring 15 goals in 17 appearances, and she earned All-Pac-12 honors last year after helping her side win the conference while scoring 10 goals in 20 games.
Expectations were high heading into the fall after Turner signed a historic NIL deal with Nike last December, and on Sunday against the nation's top-ranked side, Turner again scored the match-winner, this one in the 86th minute, with an unstoppable drive from outside the area.
RT if this late game-winning goal by @reilynturner1 to beat No. 1 North Carolina should be on @SportsCenter's #SCTop10! #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/OhzoTAwx2X
— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) September 4, 2022
UCLA is now 5-0 while North Carolina falls to 5-1. Up next for the Bruins is a home match against Cal State Fullerton next Sunday.