For the two-time defending Pac-10 Champions, it was an
inauspicious start to their season.
The Bruins dropped their first conference match in nearly two
years to the hands of a lower-ranked Washington team. More than
anything, that 1-0 loss left the team questioning its legitimacy as
a national championship contender.
Now fast-forward a month.
The since-undefeated Bruins(10-2-2, 5-1-0 Pac-10) are currently
the most dominant team in the Pac-10 and have sky-rocketed to No. 2
in the country. And while that disappointing October afternoon
seems an eternity ago to most people, it’s still fresh in the
Bruins’ minds. So when the players travel to Husky Soccer
Stadium today to face No. 7 Washington (11-4-2, 4-1-1), they
can’t help but feel they have a little unfinished business to
take care of.
“We have to come back and show everybody in the nation
that it was just a fluke that we lost,” senior defender Aaron
Lopez said. “(The loss) keeps us a little more focused to do
the job we have to do.”
Heading into their final weekend of conference play, the Bruins
are on the verge of capturing the Pac-10 title for a third
consecutive year. After they play the Huskies on Friday, UCLA will
take on Oregon State on Sunday(5-10-1, 0-6-0). UCLA is searching
for a win and a tie, which will guarantee the Bruins sole
possession of first place in the conference.
“The game on Friday should be a very good game because
we’re mentally, physically, and emotionally ready for the
challenge,” coach Jorge Salcedo said. “We failed to
perform against Washington the first time but we played them during
a time when we were having difficulty scoring.”
“We’re a much better team now.”
If the Bruins sound confident, it’s because they are and
have reason to be.
It’s not just that they are winning, but it’s the
manner in which they’re winning. UCLA has outscored its
opponents 12 to 4 in its last five games.
“We’re more confident that we can score
goals,” Salcedo said. “We’ve proven that over
that last four games. We feel really confident that the chances
we’re going to get we’re going to put away.”
In addition to the offense becoming more prolific, the most
important difference for the Bruins has been the diversity of their
scorers. Prior to the Washington game, senior forward Mike Enfield
accounted for the vast majority of the Bruins’ goals. But in
their current five-game win streak, the Bruins have had seven
different players score, most notably sophomore forward Chad
Barrett, who has come alive with three goals in his last three
games.
“If you have one guy scoring, great, but if you have two
or three guys, even better,” said Salcedo. “Kamani
(Hill) and Ben (Feilhaber) will reap in the benefits of the defense
keying in on Chad and Mike.”
This weekend, though, the newly-invigorated offense will be put
to the test.
Washington has built its record on its solid defense, having
recorded 10 shutouts this year which resulted in a 0.56 goals
against average. In the teams’ last meeting, Huskie junior
goalie Chris Eylander effectively blanketed the Bruin offense,
recording five saves in the shutout. Despite outshooting Washington
16 to 5, UCLA still was unable to convert.
“The last three years, we’ve only scored one goal
each time that we’ve been there,” Enfield said.
“It’s a lot different playing on the road. We have to
capitalize on our opportunities because we won’t get as many
as we do at home.”
The Bruins are hoping that they won’t need many
chances.
“I think whoever scores one goal is going to win the
game,” Enfield said. “Which is good for our team
because our defense is great.”
Though the Husky defense is heralded, UCLA’s defense has
posted six shutouts this year and has a 0.82 goals scored against
average. But Salcedo, with the success that his offense has been
having lately, is not ready to let the game transform into a
defensive stalemate.
“We’re going to go out and play the same way we
always do,” Salcedo said. “We’re going to go out
and attack them and use what we have as a team offensively and be
offensive-minded.”
“We’re not just going to try to go back and make it
a 0-0 tie.”
Ultimately destiny will be in the Bruins’ hands.
With Washington suffering a 1-0 double-overtime loss to then No.
18 California last Sunday, UCLA now has the opportunity to win the
conference title outright this weekend.
But if Washington wins, and goes on to defeat Oregon State next
weekend, the conference will belong to the Huskies.
But the Bruins don’t want to have to wait to see how
Washington fares next weekend.
“I think that winning it outright gives you more pride in
winning,” said sophomore defender Brandon Owens.
“It’s like the whole USC football championship.
It’s not the same if you’re not the outright No.
1.”