CARY, N.C. — Given the nature of knockout tournaments, it’s not uncommon for observers and fans to doubt the validity of a team’s title.

Sometimes a team battles through a tough schedule, but gets hot at the right time. Fluke results can power teams to unlikely wins in the playoffs. And while it’s not necessarily commonplace in women’s college soccer given the number of dominant teams in the past, these claims are often heard in college and pro sports alike.

Bruins celebrate the winning goal.

However, when examining UCLA’s body of work, no one can possibly doubt the credentials of the 2013 champions.

“This has to be, if you look at who we had to go through to win a national championship: two past national champions [Stanford and North Carolina] and the overall No. 1 seed in Virginia, and a very good Florida State team, the ACC tournament champion,” UCLA head coach Amanda Cromwell said after the triumph. “If you look at the history books, and look at the RPI of teams we had to play – even San Diego State and Kentucky, those were very good teams that gave us some issues – if you look back, it might be one of the best runs ever.”

The title game against Florida State had its precarious moments. Despite long stretches of dominance, hitting the woodwork on two separate occasions, it remained evenly poised, with the Seminoles capable of snatching away the title once overtime started. It could have derailed what was evolving into perfect title credentials.

And the Bruins had self belief coursing through their veins, thanks in part to the programs beaten on the way to the final.

“The whole game, we knew that we had it in us,” goal scorer Kodi Lavrusky said. “And once we got to that first overtime we knew our chances would come, we just had to finish one.”

MORE: UCLA beats FSU in OT | U20 hopefuls make case | FSU comes up short | 3 thoughts from Cary

Cromwell was unsurprisingly full of praise for her winners after besting their sixth talented opponent in a row.

“This team is phenomenal,” she said. “The talent we have, and what we brought forth throughout the run is the mentality and resolve. I think the toughness of those games brought us to this point, and I knew these girls were destined to win it.

“When I got [to UCLA], the way they approached the game and the professionalism they had in training – this is the most consistent team I’ve ever seen come out to training and bring it. I didn’t have to worry about their mentality, what they’ve brought to the table on a daily basis.”

On paper, the team backs it up beyond its tournament run. With a 22-1-3 overall record (the only loss of the season on a road trip to North Carolina in September), the nation’s best defense (only nine goals conceded all season), the Pac-12 regular season champions proved they could get the job done no matter the opponent.

The success all came in Cromwell’s first season in charge of the prominent power. After 14 years at UCF, when current U.S. U17 WNT head coach BJ Snow departed the program earlier in the year, Cromwell was lured to Westwood in April by the high expectations, talented roster and support of the athletic department.

She got to experience everything that drew her out west in the week leading up to the College Cup.

“The way that the administration supported us in this final four run – having our athletic director, my sport administrator, Joe Bruin and the cheer squad – we basically transplanted our program to Cary, North Carolina,” she said. “I now know why UCLA has won so many national championships in so many sports because the way we approach it with such a professional attitude, it creates this atmosphere for these girls that they have so much support. It helps us to then get the stuff done on the field that we need to do.”

Cromwell took time to heap praise on the coaches that came before her, as for the first time in nine trips to a College Cup, the Bruins finally captured that elusive title.

“I’m just continuing what BJ and Jill [Ellis] built,” she said. “They did a great job recruiting, and the scheduling was fantastic and helped us get to be national champions.”

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