WOMEN’S SOCCER Sunday, 1 p.m. at USC McAlister
Field
When the No. 4 UCLA women’s soccer team takes the field
against No. 19 USC on Sunday, the Bruins will be playing for
something more valuable than just another win.
Pride.
While the Bruins (11-2, 2-0 Pac-10) strive to gain victory in
every match, a win over USC (7-2-3, 0-0-2) carries with it a sense
of accomplishment that will remain no matter how the rest of the
season turns out.
“We have developed a hatred against USC, and we want to
win this game every year even more than any other game,”
junior goalkeeper Valerie Henderson said. “It’s going
to be a real physical game because there is a lot of pride
involved, and we just have to be the tougher team and fight it to
the death.”
If their record in recent years against the Trojans is any
indication, the Bruins have a good shot at getting a win when they
travel to McAlister Field this weekend. UCLA has a nine-game
unbeaten streak versus USC, including seven straight wins.
The victories have not come easily, though ““ the last two
UCLA-USC matches have been decided in double overtime.
“They are a very athletic team,” coach Jill Ellis
said.
“They are well organized defensively and they’ve got
some good attacking weapons. We have to be alert on defensive set
pieces and on individually defending.”
USC’s most notable player is sophomore forward Amy
Rodriguez, who was an All-American and the Pac-10 Freshman of the
Year last season.
But the Bruins believe that the key to victory will be
concentrating on their own play.
“Amy Rodriguez is a high-caliber player, but we need to
focus on what we need to do to play well,” Ellis said.
“If our possessions can be good and we keep the ball, it
makes it harder on the opponent.”
Sunday will also provide a chance for the Bruins to make a
statement on the road.
Despite owning a 10-0 record at home, UCLA is 0-2 in its road
matches.
With five of their next seven matches on the road, the Bruins
will need to quickly learn to play away from Drake Stadium.
“I think this match will be good in terms of gaining
confidence on the road, and to just get another chance to play away
from home,” Henderson said.
Well aware of the importance of the rivalry, even the freshmen
acknowledge the significance of this weekend’s match.
“I’m sure it’s going to be very intense
because USC is our typical rival,” freshman Lydia Cook
said.
“We are going to be hyped up for the game, and if we go in
hard, we can set an impression right away. This is definitely a
game we don’t want to lose.”
Even though USC leads the Pac-10 in assists and fewest goals
allowed, the Bruins feel they will be well prepared for the Trojans
after defeating California and Stanford last weekend.
California and Stanford were preseason picks to finish second
and third, respectively, in the Pac-10, with UCLA chosen as the
conference favorite.
“We’ve played two very good conference opponents, so
the freshmen have been exposed to how difficult and intense the
conference is, which will help them when facing USC,” Ellis
said.
The Bruins know that even with all their preparation for the
game, the outcome will depend on who comes out with the most
desire.
“This is our rivalry game, and 50 percent of it is
emotion,” Ellis said.
“Either team is capable of winning when the game is played
with so much emotion.”