A newspaper clipping sits taped to the window of Jill
Ellis’ Morgan Center office, plainly visible to all who enter
the women’s soccer coach’s domain.
“Next year the Bruins will look to finish what they
started,” the clipping reads.
Ellis posted this shortly after UCLA’s bitter third round
tournament defeat last year at the hands of Texas A&M. Despite
outshooting the Aggies 21-0, the Bruins lost the game on penalty
kicks. An otherwise positive season came crashing down with one
terribly depressing postseason loss.
Just under a year has passed since that day, and the chance for
redemption starts now. The Bruins host San Diego in the first round
of the NCAA tournament tonight, looking to erase the bad
memories.
“You battle for the entire season to get to this
point,” Ellis said. “Now it’s about
performing.”
UCLA received the No. 4 seed in the 64-team tournament, meaning
that the Bruins will host the first four rounds if they continue to
win. USC faces Pepperdine in the other regional match-up at Drake
Stadium Friday.
UCLA has already met San Diego once this season, a 2-0 Bruin
victory at San Diego on Oct. 7. Forwards Iris Mora and Bristyn
Davis provided the scoring impetus for the Bruins, who outshot the
Toreros 34-5.
“We played pretty solid that game,” senior
midfielder Sarah-Gayle Swanson said. “But even so,
there’s room for improvement, which is great, because we
played well that game.”
UCLA has continued to play well since, going undefeated in its
last 10. In fact, the Bruins (16-1-3, 8-0-1 Pac-10) are 12-0-1 in
their last 13.
“We’re peaking,” Swanson said. “And
there’s no better time to peak than the playoffs.”
But that’s not how it’s been the whole season.
“We’ve covered every spectrum this season,”
Ellis said. “We’re not going to go into unknown
territory.”
Among other results, the Bruins have suffered a crushing defeat
at the hands of No. 1 North Carolina, breezed to easy victories
over Loyola and Arizona, and won in the game’s final three
seconds against UNLV.
“There isn’t an emotion we haven’t
felt,” Ellis added.
The Bruin coach believes her team’s experiences with
various emotions in the regular season will help prepare them for
what they will face in the postseason.
“You always like to think there’s pressure in the
regular season, but obviously now there’s more pressure to
perform,” Ellis said. “And that’s what I like
about my team. When they’re under pressure, they find ways to
win.”
Since they faced UCLA, San Diego has posted a 3-4-1 record, with
arguably its most impressive performance coming in a 2-2 tie
against West Coast Conference foe Portland.
“(The WCC) is very tough conference, and in that regard,
they’re prepared to play top teams,” Ellis said.
“I don’t think they’re going to be intimidated at
all to play us.”
The Toreros are led in scoring by senior midfielder Brenna
Mullen, who has six goals and four assists on the season. Another
senior midfielder, Marie Claude-Henry, has three goals and seven
assists.
Though the Bruins expect the Toreros pose to a challenge, they
also remember the ultimate goal ““ finish what they
started.
“We’ve got a great defense and we have a potent
attack, and we can be a handful for other teams,” Ellis said.
“Our goal is to win the championship.”