Gregorio Gets Goal, Assist and Bruins Advance

Adolfo Gregorio scored the winning goal on a penalty kick in the 81st minute to lead UCLA into the NCAA men’s soccer championship game with a 2-1 victory over Maryland on Friday.

The Bruins (17-3-3) will play Stanford in Sunday’s title game. Stanford defeated Creighton, 2-1, in a semifinal.

Gregorio assisted on a goal by Matt Taylor, and Sumed Ibrahim scored for Maryland (20-5). All the scoring occurred in a seven-minute span late in the second half.

“I thought we played well in the first half but didn’t reward ourselves,” UCLA Coach Tom Fitzgerald said. “The whole game wasn’t as fluid as we’d like it to be. But that’s the mark of a good team, to win even when you don’t play well.”

UCLA was awarded a penalty kick after forward Cliff McKinley was pulled down in the box by Maryland goalkeeper Noah Palmer.

McKinley was on a straightaway run in the box and had Palmer beaten when the goalkeeper grabbed McKinley’s leg.

“I thought I got my hand on the ball before he went down, but unfortunately the ref didn’t, and he got the penalty kick,” Palmer said.