Monday, 4/7/97
Poor stick work, errors lead UCLA to defeat at hands of
Wildcats
To make playoffs, Bruins must win all remaining games
By Rocky Salmon
Daily Bruin Contributor
Taking advantage of your opponent’s mistakes and making good on
those opportunities is what separates a win from a loss.
Saturday, the UCLA women’s lacrosse team (1-3) could not make
good on golden opportunities, which led to a 10-4 loss to the
University of Arizona (4-0). The Bruins were unable to take
advantage of having the ball on the offensive side for most of the
second half, scoring only three goals while the Wildcats knocked in
six more to win.
"We just didn’t execute around the net," center Mika Yoshida
said. "We need to take advantage of our opportunities."
The club played rusty; it committed crucial errors and suffered
from sloppy stick work.
"Since we didn’t play for a few weeks, we weren’t as sharp as
usual," captain Cassie Craun said. "We need to improve our fielding
skills for our next game against Occidental."
Inconsistent Bruin stick work gave the Wildcats opportunities to
bury UCLA. And that’s what the Wildcats did.
Through halftime, goalie Alina Wilga had held off the Arizona
attack, allowing only four goals, but the offense could muster only
one goal, scored by Craun.
In the second half, the Bruins looked like they had taken
control of the game. But, as the minutes ticked by, Arizona goalie
Margaret Fifer blocked numerous shots and became the catalyst for
many Arizona fast breaks.
"Our record, which is 1-3, and this game don’t really show how
hard we play from our heart," Amy Fujimoto, second-year captain,
said.
The Wildcats used a lot of substitutes, leading to their 29 game
shots. Wilga was able to stop 16, but eventually the offensive
execution by the Wildcats was too much.
With three more league games remaining, it is necessary for UCLA
to win all three in order to make the playoffs.
"Our hopes were high at the beginning of the season after the
win against USC, but we’ve struggled since then," junior Amy
Tobbagi said. "We have the potential to win every game. We can win
the next three. It can be done."Arizona 10
UCLA 4