By Jessica Bach
Daily Bruin Contributor
NORTHRIDGE “”mdash; It wasn’t the best game the UCLA
men’s soccer team has ever played, beating host Cal State
Northridge 1-0 on Friday. But hey, a win is a win.
It was a tale of two halves, the first dominated by rough play
and an early UCLA goal in the 10th minute. But the second half was
a different story that was detailed with aggressive play by the
Matadors.
“We played very well in the first half and created a lot
of opportunities,” head coach Tom Fitzgerald said. “But
unfortunately, we let a team like that come back in the second
half. They were anxious.”
Throughout the first half, the referees were kept busy, giving
out five yellow cards and one red card, for too much physical
play.
“When you are goal up, (Northridge) is going to try and
comeback at you another way,” sophomore goalie Zach Wells
said. “You have to expect the frustrations, but I thought we
held our heads.”
But the rough play died down in the second half, where sophomore
midfielder Adolfo Gregorio excelled.
“Adolfo was the man of the match. He was
unbelievable,” Fitzgerald said. “But we have to take
advantage of his good efforts.”
“I had a lot of space,” Gregorio said. “They
left me isolated and that allowed me to get the ball and do my
best.”
Gregorio’s opportunities weren’t capitalized for
goals, but in the end the Bruins still pulled it out.
“We didn’t give away too many good chances,”
Wells said. “But it is the end result that
matters.”