Mud, grass and sweat stain each of their white sweaters after
every practice.
But for junior goalkeeper Nate Pena, getting down and dirty in
practice is fine with him as long as he’s back.
After suffering a lower back injury in practice a month ago
trying to prevent a cross shot from scoring, Pena returned and
scrimmaged with the team after missing four games.
Despite his return, Pena is still hesitant and wary of
re-injuring his back.
“It’ll be a while. I’m not feeling
right,” Pena said. “I haven’t been through an
entire practice yet, so I just have to work until I get
there.”
In the beginning of the season, first-year coach Jorge Salcedo
was uncertain of who would start at the goalie position.
As a result, Pena and sophomore Eric Reed jostled against each
other in hopes of being named the starting goalie for the team.
Pena won that battle. But only momentarily.
With Pena at goal, the Bruins rolled to a 3-1 record, and Pena
was nearly flawless, recording 17 saves.
But a few weeks into the season the injury struck Pena at an
inopportune moment.
In the three seasons Pena has been a goalie with the Bruins he
has never seen more than four games of action in any season at
UCLA.
“I’m bummed out,” Pena said. “To know
you had (the starting position) and to let it go like that ““
as easy as that ““ it’s a bad feeling.
“It sucks.”
While out, Reed jumped at the opportunity to start. The redshirt
sophomore has started the last four games, but the experience
hasn’t been what he has expected.
Without the offensive support, Reed and the Bruins have
struggled to a 1-1-2 record.
“Before every game we always try to pump up the offense to
score more goals. We’re all trying to do what we can to get
(our scoring) back,” Reed said.
Out for almost one month, Pena has been forced to watch from the
sidelines, where he has come to realize that the Bruins’
offense will come soon enough.
“It’s been the lapses on offense that has hurt
us,” Pena said.
“I think it’s been a little unlucky. Hopefully our
luck will change.”
The Bruins’ luck hasn’t changed, as the
opportunities have been there. UCLA has outshot its opponents
149-68.
With the Bruins (5-2-2, 1-1-0 Pac-10) struggling to score and
only holding a 13-8 edge in goal differential, Salcedo has been
pleased with how Reed has responded on the defensive end.
“He’s done well and he’s made some important
saves when we needed it,” Salcedo said.
Without any depth at the goalie position and with freshman Eric
Conner hampered with an injury, Salcedo has said that barring an
injury, Pena has the green light to step in and take over.
“He’s not 100 percent, but he’s fine,”
Salcedo said.
“He’s back to the point where if there is an
emergency situation we would be able to use him.”
With UCLA off this week, competitive practice between the
goalies has resurrected.
And it has helped Reed.
“Having (Pena) back in practices helps both of us push
each other to the fullest,” Reed said.
“When he was out the intensity didn’t drop, but the
competition isn’t always there with only one
keeper.”
While Reed might have gone through ifs and buts in his mind,
Salcedo remains certain that even if Pena were not injured the
goalie situation would still be up in the air.
“I can’t say “˜yes’ or “˜no’
one way or the other,” said Salcedo on the starting goal
position.
For now, the “˜no’ belongs to Pena and the
“˜yes’ belongs to Reed for the starting nod.