Women’s Soccer Wins Season Opener at Georgia, 1-0

Athens, Ga. – Sophomore Bella Winn offered the game-winner for No. 8 UCLA within the 66th minute because the Bruins defeated Georgia, 1-0, within the 2025 season opener.

Senior Lily Boyden created the play with a run down the left line. She was challenged by a Georgia defender however continued with a powerful diagonal run earlier than hitting Winn with a by way of ball within the field. Winn took one contact after which hit a left-footed shot previous goalkeeper Hannah Folliard to interrupt the scoreless tie. Winn, who was restricted to only two video games a yr in the past as a result of harm, has now scored a aim or help in all three profession video games. 

Goal No. 1 of the season for the Bruins and profession aim No. 2 for @bellawinnsoccer!

(??: ESPNU) pic.twitter.com/t9GUki1KPP

— UCLA Women’s Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) August 15, 2025

Georgia threatened to tie within the remaining 10 minutes. Freshman goalkeeper Daphne Nakfoor leaped as much as make a save on a Cate Hardin shot within the 81st minute. With 30 seconds left within the contest, Hardin had one other alternative, along with her close-range shot getting previous Nakfoor, however senior defender Jennie Immethun was there to make a aim line save, and freshman Meila Brewer cleared the ball away from hazard.

Nakfoor earned the shutout in her first collegiate sport. She completed with three saves on 11 photographs. Folliard additionally confronted 11 photographs and recorded six saves for the Bulldogs.

 

The first half noticed each groups earn a number of high quality probabilities. The Bulldogs had its greatest alternative within the twenty seventh minute when freshman Mya Townes rocketed a shot off the crossbar. Nakfoor made two saves within the half, stopping a shot by Maddie Baker within the seventh minute and dealing with a shot by Summer Denigan within the twenty fourth minute. 

  

Sophomore Kara Croone was harmful for the Bruins, incomes a takeaway within the twenty eighth minute that led to a scoring likelihood, however her shot was saved by Folliard. Croone additionally had a 1v1 alternative within the thirty first minute, however her shot was stopped once more by Folliard on the left put up. 

The Bruins had a flurry of probabilities within the remaining 5 minutes of the half, with Val Vargas taking a long-distance curling shot that saved within the fortieth minute. A minute later, Payten Cooper earned a free kick simply in entrance of the field, and Vargas’ free kick was blocked by the Georgia wall. With below a minute to play, Cooper had a shot cleared off the road, and Oruha Hayashi’s follow-up shot was blocked. 

The defenses continued to shine within the second half. In the forty ninth minute Winn and Leena Powell linked within the field, however Folliard smothered the ball earlier than Powell might get a shot off. In the 56th minute, Baker despatched in an ideal move forward to Sage Glover, who had simply Nakfoor to beat. Nakfoor got here out to problem and lower off Glover’s angle, forcing a cross that was lower off by the Bruin protection. America Frias discovered Powell on the left aspect within the 61st minute, however a Georgia defender pressured Powell into an off-target shot. 

UCLA will host Tennessee on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at 7 pm at Wallis Annenberg Stadium within the Bruins’ residence opener. Tickets can be found at uclabruins.com/tickets.