A sluggish first half didn’t deter Lindsay Greco’s
confidence as the redshirt junior midfielder jogged off the field
Sunday afternoon.
Greco notched a crucial second-half goal that helped the UCLA
women’s soccer team emerge from its malaise as the Bruins
clinched a share of the Pac-10 title with a 2-0 victory over USC at
Drake Stadium.
“We know we’re the better team,” Greco said.
“We came out a little sluggish, but we picked it up. We knew
we had the talent to beat them.”
Despite the chance to deal their rivals a crushing blow, the No.
3 Bruins (14-1-3, 6-0-1 Pac-10) seemed uninspired throughout much
of the first half, frittering away several scoring opportunities
and allowing USC (7-7-4, 3-3-1) to be the aggressor.
The Bruins registered just four shots on goal before halftime
and were held scoreless during a half for the first time in four
games.
“We didn’t come with enough intensity in the first
half,” sophomore forward Iris Mora said. “They’re
a pretty good team. We knew it was a tough game, so we were
watching how they were going to play.”
Following the tentative first half, the Bruins came out with
renewed passion after the break.
Greco broke the scoreless tie in the 47th minute, taking a cross
from Mora just outside the six-yard box and threading it past USC
goalkeeper Julie Peterson to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
Minutes later, UCLA struck again.
This time it was Mora who took a cross from junior Kendall
Billingsley, heading it past Peterson and into the open net. For
the 5-foot-2 Mora, it was a pleasant surprise to find herself so
open in front of the net.
“I don’t like to head it,” she said.
“But I was by myself out there. It surprised me. It was a
perfect cross, and I was there to put it in.”
The Bruins peppered the Trojan net with 12 second-half shots and
appeared to be ready to open up a insurmountable three-goal lead
several times late in the match. Freshman Bristyn Davis, senior
Katherine Bjazevich and junior Kim Devine each had scoring chances
late in the game but could not find the back of the net.
Nonetheless, it was a commanding performance by a UCLA team that
is playing its best soccer of the season. The Bruins have won their
last four games by a combined score of 15-1, and appear to be
worthy of their lofty top-five ranking.
“We’re peaking at the right time,” Greco said.
“We have great chemistry, and we feel like we’re
playing very good soccer.”
The victory over USC secured the Pac-10’s automatic bid to
the NCAA Tournament and moved the Bruins one step closer to the
Pac-10 title. If UCLA defeats or ties either Oregon or Oregon State
this weekend, it will win its first outright conference
championship since 2001.
Of equal importance to the Bruins is their NCAA seeding. Two
victories in the Pacific Northwest would likely guarantee a
top-four seed and home-field advantage until the College Cup.
UCLA knows it cannot afford to let up in the first half once the
postseason begins, but until then, Ellis is content to let her
veteran team play through its own mistakes.
“I knew they could play better than they did in the first
half,” Ellis said. “But I’m saving the fire and
brimstone for the playoffs.”