It took all of five minutes for sophomore midfielder Kristina Larsen to make her presence felt in the women’s soccer team’s 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last Friday.
Filling in for leading goal-scorer Lauren Cheney, who was forced to sit out because of a red card she received in the final game of the regular season, Larsen was thrust into the starting lineup for the top-seeded Bruins.
And much like the player she was replacing, Larsen did not disappoint.
Against the Titans, Larsen gave the Bruins an early one-goal cushion on a beautifully struck ball, erasing any doubts that the team might suffer a drop in production without Cheney on the field.
In Sunday’s second-round match against Oklahoma State, Larsen put away another goal, helping the Bruins to a 4-0 victory and capping off an incredible weekend for the midfielder from Mission Viejo.
“She played to her potential,” coach Jill Ellis said. “When we recruited her, we knew she was a powerful player who could help us. She has gained confidence and has been very productive for us.”
For Larsen, that first goal on Friday gave her a tremendous sense of relief.
“Scoring the goal, it felt so good,” Larsen said. “I was so relieved. It was an affirmation that I was doing my part and showed that I could do it. It was a full rush.”
Last year, Larsen enjoyed a very successful and productive freshman season. She appeared in 22 games, starting in 19 of them, and tallied a total of six goals, including one in her collegiate debut.
However, this season, Larsen’s production has been limited to crucial minutes coming off the bench and providing a spark for the Bruins. While she has appeared in 20 matches, she has only started in four. Yet, she has still been productive, notching four goals and one assist.
So, in switching from bench player to starter for Friday’s game, Larsen knew what she had to do.
“Coming off the bench, I knew I had to work hard and just give everything and step it up for the rest of the team,” she said.
Both the players and the coaches knew the level of production that Larsen was capable of and were only waiting for her to realize her potential and the talent she had.
“A couple of players at halftime came up to me and said, “˜It’s about time. What were you waiting for? We knew you had it in you,'” Larsen said. “So it was all just a matter of me stepping up and getting it done.”
And for Ellis, it was pleasing to see Larsen perform to her ability.
“Larsen stepped in off the bench and did a great job,” the coach said. “Everybody was happy that she played well and we’re pleased with the way she played. But like I said, it doesn’t matter who scores the goals.”
PAC-10 TEAMS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: Along with UCLA, three other teams from the Pac-10 were selected for the tournament: Stanford, USC, and California. Stanford, a No. 1 seed, defeated Sacramento State 7-0 in the first round before besting Cal 2-1 in the second round. The Bears defeated Santa Clara 2-0 in the first round. USC, a No. 2 seed, defeated Creighton 3-0 in the first round and Missouri 1-0 in the second round.