This weekend will provide the UCLA men’s soccer team with
an opportunity they can’t turn down.
Seven games into the season, the No. 2 Bruins (6-1) have yet to
face any Pac-10 teams. Today, they open play against Oregon State
in Corvallis, Ore., before facing Washington on Sunday in Seattle.
This weekend’s results will certainly set the tone for the
rest of the season.
“We need to start Pac-10 play with two wins on the road.
That would set us up for great success for the season,”
senior forward Matt Taylor said.
This past weekend’s 3-0 victory over Loyola Marymount
added to the wave of Bruin shutouts and boosted not only
UCLA’s record but also the team’s confidence.
“It’s going to be a tough battle, but if we come out
and play our game, we should be good,” Taylor said.
Oregon State (8-3) is coming off an East Coast road trip during
which the Beavers pulled out a double-overtime victory over Rhode
Island. This season, OSU remains undefeated in Corvallis.
Although Oregon State was one of the four Pac-10 teams to
qualify for this past year’s postseason, the Beavers finished
the season with a 4-6 conference record, compared to the
Bruins’ 8-2 final standings.
“The fact that we’re playing two very good teams
back-to-back adds icing on the cake,” said head coach Tom
Fitzgerald.
“It’s extremely important for us to go into Pac-10
play and have a good start.”
UCLA’s match Sunday against Washington (6-0-1) seems to
pose the larger challenge of the weekend.
This past weekend, the then-No.22 Huskies upset No. 11 South
Carolina, 3-0. The win propelled them to a No. 12 national ranking.
Washington’s start is its best since 1998, when they began
7-0.
Husky midfielder Leo Totev, who played an integral part in
Washington’s victory over the Gamecocks, netting two goals
and assisting on a third, will be the most potent offensive force
the Bruins will have to counter.
UCLA’s defense will also have to play without senior
defender Tony Lawson, who is out with a hip flexor injury. Senior
midfielder Dru Hoshimiya will move back to fill Lawson’s
spot, and the rest of the defense will have to step up to
compensate for the vacancy.
“Four of the six teams from the Pac-10 went into
postseason play last year,” Fitzgerald said. “If they
were good then, they’re probably better now.”