In their fourth-ever matchup, Northwestern women’s soccer (5-7-3, 0-5-2 B1G) conceded a 1-0 loss to the UCLA Bruins (11-2-2, 6-0-1 B1G) despite a promising defensive performance on Thursday, extending the Bruins’ lead in the all-time series to 3-1.

Set to witness history, a crowd of 1,264 gathered at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium to watch the two teams face off as members of the same conference for the first time. In years prior, Northwestern rarely crossed paths with former PAC-12 team UCLA: The ’Cats last fell to the Bruins two years ago in the 2022 NCAA Tournament Round of 16. But in the wake of UCLA’s transition to the newly aligned, coast-to-coast Big Ten Conference this year, the reputable West Coast team washed up on Northwestern’s shores with a secure anchoring in the league.

Partway into their inaugural Big Ten season, UCLA has already risen to first place in conference standings, tying their former PAC-12 peer USC at 19 points. Northwestern, on the other hand, clings to the second-to-last rung with only two points – and the Bruins may be partly to blame.

The ’Cats lost a key asset this season when former Northwestern midfielder Meg Boade transferred to UCLA. Boade devoted four seasons (2020 - 2023) to Northwestern, setting the team’s single-season assists record in 2023 with 14 assists and twice earning first-team All-Big Ten picks.

Now clad in UCLA blue and gold, transfer graduate midfielder Boade returned to Evanston with 14 games, one goal and one assist recorded on her Bruins resume. Thursday night’s matchup wasted no time in pitting Wildcat against former Wildcat.

UCLA’s opening minutes confirmed the team’s national reputation as a dominant soccer program. The Bruins attacked the ’Cats on all fronts, commanding 65 percent of the first half possession and launching six dangerous shots and set pieces early in the half. Northwestern’s defenders and third-year goalkeeper Reiley Fitzpatrick delayed a UCLA goal for just over 39 minutes before Bruins graduate defender Maya Evans curled an unassisted shot into the top-right pocket, sealing the halftime score at 1-0.

UCLA had successfully stumped the ’Cats at zero shots and zero corners, largely thanks to three Northwestern attacks being ruled offsides. Little did the Bruins know, though, the tides were about to change.

UCLA may have racked up 239 shots in Big Ten play this season – a far cry from Northwestern’s 183 shots – but the top-ranked team failed to make any shot attempts in the second half of Thursday’s matchup. Instead, the ’Cats turned the tables on UCLA. Graduate midfielder Josie Aulicino, third-year midfielder Caterina Regazzoni and second-year forward Megan Norkett fired a total of 4 shots that at least tested the UCLA goalkeeper. But Northwestern’s gradual attack peaked too late.

Starved of a win in their last eight games, Northwestern will be hungry to close its regular season home slate on Sunday with a successful contest against USC, who stand atop the Big Ten standings.

Thumbnail photo by AJ Anderson/North by Northwestern.