UCLA had an amazing season accomplishing many achievements and victories throughout the season. The Bruins played extremely well and worked well as a team to earn the title and call themselves national champions for this past season.
The UCLA women’s soccer team had a historic season in 2022, winning their second NCAA championship in program history. The Bruins finished the regular season with a 17-2 record, a 9-2 Pac-12 conference record, including a perfect 8-0 mark in non-conference play.
In the NCAA Tournament, UCLA defeated Northern Arizona, UCF, Northwestern, and Virginia to reach the College Cup. The Bruins then defeated Alabama in the semifinals and North Carolina in the final to claim the title.
The Bruins were led by a number of talented players, including Sunshine Fontes, Lilly Reale, and Reilyn Turner. Turner was named first team all Pac-12 and the College Cup Most Outstanding Player. Fontes tied with Turner for the team leader in goals with 11, and lead the team in overall points and assists. Reale was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. She anchored a defense that allowed just 14 goals all season. Quincy McMahon, along with Turner and Reale was named to the all-Pac-12 first team. She scored three goals and added six assists.
The Bruins’ championship season was a culmination of years of hard work and dedication by all of the student-athletes that included 19 upperclassmen that included four graduate students and six seniors. What is somewhat remarkable is that not many players transferred when new head coach Margueritte Aozasaas was hired in December 2021 and who was previously an assistant coach at Stanford from 2015-21. This season her players and she built on the success from the last two seasons when they were back-to-back Pac-12 champions. The Bruins have now won two national championships, and 13 Pac-12 championships, and have only missed the NCAA Tournament since 1995 twice.
The Bruins’ success in 2022 was a source of pride for the entire UCLA community. The team’s championship run brought excitement and joy to campus and to the city of Los Angeles. The Bruins’ victory was a reminder that anything is possible when you work hard, believe in yourself, and never give up.