CARY, N.C. -- Kodi Lavrusky gave UCLA its first national title in program history on Sunday, scoring in the 97th minute to lift the Bruins past Florida State 1-0 in overtime in cold and rainy conditions.
Making a run from the back, Megan Oyster brought the ball down the left side of the field before crossing to the middle. She slipped a pass in front of the goal to Lavrusky, who left-footed the ball into the bottom right corner of the net past diving goalkeeper Kelsey Wys.
It was the first title game decided in overtime since 2002.
The Bruins (22-1-3) finished the season with a 21-game unbeaten streak. They had 15 shutouts during that span, including five of six matches in the NCAA tournament.
Florida State (23-2-3) had its nine-game winning streak snapped.UCLA outshot Florida State 15-5 in regulation and controlled the run of play in each half. Taylor Smith had the best two chances at a goal for the Bruins in regulation. She blasted a shot off the crossbar in the 30th minute and hit the left post just before halftime.
The second opportunity was especially dangerous. Caprice Dydasco blasted a shot that Wys saved. After a failed clearance attempt by Florida State, the rebound ended up at Smith's feet. She had the left side of the net open from about 12 yards away, but her left-footed shot hit the frame.
UCLA and Florida State have reached the College Cup more than any other school since 2003, making eight and seven appearances, respectively. But the teams were playing for just the second time, with the Bruins winning the first meeting 4-0 in the 2005 NCAA semifinals.
The temperature on the rain-soaked field was 35 degrees when the game began, more than 40 degrees colder than the high temperature Friday for the semifinals. Players opted for various combinations of long sleeves, gloves and headbands in the cold rain.
