Although the playoffs are out of the question for both UCLA and USC club lacrosse this season, they are not about to forget the significance of their classic rivalry.
This year, both Western Collegiate Lacrosse League teams are tied in their division with no division wins and three victories each overall. Neither wants to stay in last place.
So, in a way, the stakes are still high for Saturday night’s 7 p.m. matchup at USC.
A loss would put the Bruins in last place in the division for a second straight season.
When the two teams met at UCLA’s the North Athletic Field at last season, the Trojans started the game with a big lead that the Bruins never recovered from. With that victory, USC celebrated its only division win of the season and the Bruins were left in last place.
Coach Jacques Bagley hopes to alter the result and remains confident in his team.
“I’m very confident,” Bagley said. “When UCLA plays USC in any sport, it’s going to be a tough game. There’s going to be a lot of emotion on the field, but we’ll try to keep it under control.”
For the Bruin lacrosse players, this is the most important game of the season.
“The ‘SC game is the ‘SC game ““ it doesn’t matter if it is the first game of the season or the last, it’s always its own thing,” senior midfielder Patrick Watkins said. “The atmosphere is always intense when we play each other and Saturday should be no different. Both teams have a lot to prove.”
In order to beat the Trojans, the Bruins are going to need a strong defensive force. With 113 saves this season, junior goaltender Max Van Broek hopes to keep the Bruins on their feet tomorrow night.
“It’s really exciting and it’s the best way to end the season,” Van Broek said. Our coaches are really fired up.
Despite his injury last game against UC Santa Cruz, senior midfielder Jonathan Yip is still determined to play with full strength against the Trojans. Right now he holds a team best of 29 goals and hopes to increase that number tomorrow night.
“It is one of the biggest college rivalries, and to get a chance to walk off their field with a win and have it be the freshest memory would be incredible,” Yip said. “In these games, it always comes down to who wants it more.”
Given that this is their biggest game of the season, the Bruins have increased the intensity of their drills. There are still minor injuries among the players including Scott Harris, who is recovering from a sprained ankle from the game against UCSC.
“Practices always go a little different when everyone knows it’s ‘SC week,” Watkins said. “We spent a lot of time working hard on those little things like ground balls that will be the difference on Saturday. As the week went on, we started to get a little healthier and it was good to get those guys we had been missing back into the mix.”
If the Bruins win Saturday, it will be their first division win since the 2006 season where they ended their season with three division wins and made it all the way to the WCLL quarterfinals. In that season, the Bruins beat the Trojans 11-8 in their own territory.
They hope to repeat a similar result Saturday night.