Bucknor Scores Two as Michigan Earns Road Point at UCLA

Saturday, September 21

Los Angeles, Calif.

3:00 PM PT

Michigan

5-0-3, 1-0-2

UCLA

3-2-3, 1-1-1

Michigan

UCLA

Jason Bucknor (Michigan Photography)

Bucknor Scores Two as Michigan Earns Road Point at UCLA

9/21/2024 8:52:00 PM | Men's Soccer

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By: Alex Whisnant

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan men's soccer team (5-0-3, 1-0-2 Big Ten) battled with the UCLA Bruins (3-2-2, 1-1-1 Big Ten) to a 3-3 draw on Saturday (Sept. 21) at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.

Michigan extended its undefeated start to eight matches, its longest stretch without a loss to open a season since the 2007 campaign.

The first-ever meeting between the two schools produced a wealth of offense, highlighted by Jason Bucknor who scored two goals, including the game-tying goal in the 81st minute. Bryce Blevins accounted for the other score, his third of the season, and added an assist on Bucknor's second tally. Beto Soto notched two assists in the contest, and Matthew Fisher tallied an assist, his second of the campaign. Soto has now registered at least one point in seven straight starts. Despite being out-shot 12-6, Michigan was highly efficient with its attempts, putting five on target and three in the net.

The first half featured plenty of fireworks with the two sides combining for five goals in the opening 45 minutes. Bucknor opened the scoring in the 10th minute of play as he took a feed from Fisher into the box and powered the ball below the UCLA keeper to put Michigan in front, 1-0. UCLA tied the match at one on a Michigan own goal before taking the lead on a header from a corner kick. The Wolverines equalized in the 30th minute as Blevins forced a turnover in the attacking half and fired a shot off the right goalpost and into the net to knot the game at two. However, UCLA regained the lead just before halftime to make the score 3-2 with 45 minutes to play.

The Bruins continued to apply attacking pressure, launching two shots within the first 10 minutes of the second stanza, but neither could find the target. Both teams continued to stand firm until the waning moments of the match. In the 81st minute, Soto found room on the left edge of the penalty box and provided a pinpoint pass to Bucknor at the top of the box. Bucknor then fired the ball into the waiting net to tie the game at three. UCLA controlled possession for much of the remaining nine minutes, but the Wolverines locked down defensively to earn a crucial conference point in its first road match of 2024.

U-M will be back in action next Saturday (Sept. 28) when they travel east to take on Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J., at 4 p.m. The conference tilt will be televised on the Big Ten Network.