MEN’S SOCCER Sunday, 5 p.m. v. Clemson Drake
Stadium
The Bruins had to wait an extra day, but they have their Tigers.
While eighth-seeded UCLA was beating Harvard 3-0 at Drake Stadium,
Clemson and Gardner-Webb were having their game rained out. The
game was rescheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, when Clemson rolled over
visiting Gardner-Webb as expected. Because of that postponement,
the Bruins’ third-round matchup against the Tigers was also
postponed to Sunday at 5 p.m. at Drake Stadium. Regardless of game
time, Clemson represents a huge step up in tournament competition
for UCLA. Coming in as the ninth seed in the tournament, Clemson
beat first-seeded Duke when the two teams played at Clemson on Oct.
27. Coach Jorge Salcedo and the Bruins are preparing for a tough
and intense game. “They’ll be able to match our
athleticism,” Salcedo said. “They’re a team that
grinds out games and a team that will do everything it can to win
second balls in our half of the field, and that will put a lot of
pressure on us.” The Tigers have been known for applying
pressure this year. They lead the ACC in fouls per game with 19.8
and are second in yellow cards with 2.1 per game. “It’s
tough for our team because we like to play the ball and get into a
rhythm, and fouls break up the rhythm,” midfielder Greg Folk
said. “(But) throughout the year we’ve grown tougher.
The Harvard game is an example of that. We got fouled a lot and
fought through it.” Throughout the year UCLA has been
searching for the right chemistry, and the team has gelled just in
time. Against the Crimson the Bruins stomped out any lingering
playoff demons with strong team defense and cheeky passes on
counterattacks that ended up in a lot of shots on goal. They
totaled eight on the night in comparison to Harvard’s two.
“Everyone was clicking and looking for each other,”
freshman Kyle Nakazawa said. Salcedo noted that the Bruins’
offensive strength came from their defense. The Bruins had strong
play from their back four and were able to clear the ball up to the
midfielders on a consistent basis. The team is riding a big wave of
confidence with the convincing win. While the Bruins struggled at
times to find the right combinations on the field, UCLA now seems
to have it figured out. “I’m very excited,” Folk
said. “I think our team is coming together really strong
right now.” UCLA will need to draw on that improvement when
the Tigers come to town if it is going to have a deep run at the
national title.
HILL GERMANY-BOUND: Forward Kamani Hill, who
had been taking time off of school for personal reasons, signed a
professional contract with Wolfsburg in Bundesliga. He will not
return to play for UCLA in 2007. Hill joins the team with the
Bundesliga season already under way.