As halftime approached on Sunday against UNLV, it appeared as
though Jonathan Bornstein would once again be the only Bruin to
record a goal. However, five minutes before the end of the half,
sophomore Kamani Hill helped contribute to the Bruins’ effort
with a goal of his own. But even then, Bornstein remained a part of
the picture, recording the assist. His job was not yet done. Just
twenty minutes later, Hill returned the favor for Bornstein,
setting up his second goal of the game and his fourth in three
games ““ all of which were shutout victories. “Last year
I had one goal and one assist, but this year has been totally
different,” said Bornstein. In fact, after the first six
games, the senior midfielder leads the team in both scoring and
goals with nine points and four goals. “It’s definitely
a confidence booster to score two goals and have an assist in one
game. “After a 3-0 win at home, I think the team is on a high
right now and we’re really confident and playing well,”
said the Bruins’ top scorer. Not only did Bornstein feel a
momentum shift in their direction before heading into Pac-10 play
this weekend, but the rest of the team, including head coach Jorge
Salcedo, is also optimistic about their home games this weekend.
“I feel like we’re gearing up and getting ready for our
first conference game against Cal,” said Salcedo. The Bears
are undefeated and ranked as high as number three in various polls
around the country, while the Bruins peak at number six. “If
we can get two wins this weekend against Cal and Stanford, then
we’re off to a great start and hopefully our fourth straight
Pac-10 Championship,” said Salcedo.
ON A ROLL: With his recent streak in non-conference play,
Bornstein is also receiving recognition from several national media
outlets. Bornstein was named to the Top Drawer Soccer and the
College Soccer News’ national teams for the week of Sept.
19-25. The Bruins played the UNLV Rebels on the Sept. 25 but had no
other games during that week. “I wasn’t surprised by
his performance,” said Salcedo, “This year he has a bit
of a different role of having to play at midfield, but I knew he
could do some of the things he’s doing now.” It was the
senior’s first time receiving national recognition in his
four-year tenure at UCLA. “My dad called me and he found out
before I even found out and it was just a huge excitement to get
those recognitions,” said Bornstein. “It’s good
to know that other people are noticing also.”
INJURY UPDATE: Junior Kiel McClung will have to watch at least a
few more games from the sidelines as he waits for his ankle to
heal. The Bruin defender severely sprained his ankle in the second
week of this year’s preseason play. Salcedo is optimistic for
the return of his veteran defender, but understands that patience
is the only way to handle the situation. “Kiel will hopefully
be back soon,” said Salcedo, “He needs to get through a
full week of intense training and we’ll be able to gauge
whether he’s ready to play.”
TWENTY YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Prior to this weekend’s Stanford
game, there will be an alumni game played on the North Athletic
Field celebrating the 20th anniversary of UCLA’s first NCAA
men’s soccer title. The 1985 NCAA Championship team will then
be honored in a special halftime presentation.