As strange as it may seem, there is life outside of the Rose Bowl.
With school still a few weeks away, most students care not for the happenings in Westwood outside of upset wins over football powerhouses.
Yet there is more to fall athletics than first downs and touchdowns, and it’s time for the campus to take notice.
The UCLA women’s soccer team has a burning desire. You would too if you’d fallen short of a championship after five straight trips to the College Cup, college soccer’s version of the Final Four. This fall, Drake Stadium will be home to the sixth try, as a team led by Olympians Kara Lang and Lauren Cheney hope to finally seize the crown of collegiate soccer, thus unseating crosstown rival USC from the throne.
While low-scoring, UCLA soccer games are an intense affair and a clinic in outstanding soccer. One-touch passes never looked so good as they do in the glow of lights and accompanied by the echoes of hardcore student supporters.
The men’s soccer team has embarked on a journey of their own ““ one of redemption. Preseason predictions of greatness a year ago slowly devolved into disappointment and an early postseason exit. The subpar 2007 performance was a far cry from the national finalist appearance the year before, a place UCLA and coach Jorge Salcedo hope to return to. With a bevy of freshman talent at key positions, the Bruins hope that they will once again be dominant after a year-long hiatus. The team must contend with a brutal schedule that consists of perennial powers like Maryland, Wake Forest and Indiana, as well as the typically strong Pac-10 slate. 2008 will be an uphill climb, but a trek worth watching, and a team worth rooting on.
In the pool, the men’s water polo team hopes to capture some of the success of the women’s team, which has won four straight national titles. They are led by the right man for the job, Adam Krikorian, who has led the lady Bruins to each of their national titles.
For the men, 2008 offers a chance to recapture the glory years of the past, and reclaim their spot in the upper echelon of schools. With a huge win over then-No. 1 USC last year to build off of, the talent is clearly there. The Bruins now must build a complete team with the killer instinct necessary to perform at championship levels, and there is no doubt from this end that they have hired the best carpenter around in Krikorian. It will be interesting to see if UCLA can rise up in the collegiate ranks and avoid merely treading water.
Then there is the storyline on the court. Playing under the championship banners at hallowed Pauley Pavilion, the women’s volleyball team has experienced resurgence over the last two seasons. Longtime head coach Andy Banachowski guided the Bruins to a Final Four appearance in 2006, and has been successful in establishing UCLA as one of the top programs in the country, on par with traditional Pac-10 powers Stanford and USC. Women’s volleyball matches are a well-kept secret in Westwood. In short, they are a lot of fun. Unfortunately, not enough attend the matches for this to become a widely known fact.
Trust me, it will be a fun experience.
So take a chance and take in a fast, exciting and riveting contest. The men’s team, which often arrives in ridiculous but charming costumes, is always there to support their friends on the women’s squad. Bruin volleyball always holds the promise of an evening well-spent.
So take this advice and wean yourself away from a diet of safeties and sacks. Try a bit of splashes, spikes and slide tackles. After all, a balanced diet of sports is always the most healthy, especially when each ingredient tastes so good.