If this past season serves as any indication, the UCLA
women’s soccer team will have no trouble when it travels to
face the University of San Diego today at 7 p.m.
This past season, the Bruins defeated the Toreros 6-0 in the
season opener.
“Sometimes you just have games where everything you touch
is golden,” UCLA head coach Jill Ellis said.
“That’s the type of game it was for us.”
But tonight is not this past season.
San Diego has already proven itself as a legitimate team this
year, one that will likely give the No. 3 Bruins (6-1-2) all they
can handle on the field.
This past week, the Toreros (6-2-3) beat two Pac-10 schools,
Arizona and No. 12 Arizona State, each with a score of 2-1.
They’re always a very good team,” Ellis said.
“They don’t have any superstars, but they’re
solid from the top to the bottom.”
San Diego and UCLA share two common opponents this season, and
the teams had similar results against each. The Toreros beat UNLV,
1-0 on Sept. 5, while UCLA is coming off a 1-0 win over UNLV this
past Friday. In Friday’s game, the only goal came from
Sarah-Gayle Swanson in the final three seconds.
Both teams tied their matches against UC Santa Barbara.
“I challenged the team in practice today and told them
that we need to show up this week, Ellis said. “We play three
very good teams.”
Today’s game will be the Bruins’ final chance to
settle things before conference matches begin against Washington
State and Washington.
Questions still exist concerning who will start at forward
alongside Iris Mora in conference play. Freshman Bristyn Davis
started against UNLV, and junior Lindsay Greco will start
today.
“I’m still just really waiting for a personality to
emerge,” Ellis said.
One other concern for the Bruin coach is that she wants to see
her players making adjustments. Ellis would like to see her team
perform no matter what formation San Diego displays. Already this
season the Toreros have shown a two-forward front and a
three-forward front.
“We have to be able to meet the demands of the
game,” Ellis said. “In soccer, coaches don’t have
the type of control you would have in basketball. I’m looking
for players to solve problems on the field.”