UCLA has been to the College Cup five years in a row and six times total under coach Jill Ellis.
They’ve come up short each and every time.
And if they hope that this year’s trip to the Final Four will be any different, they will have to contend with what is certainly their toughest road to a title.
Each of the four teams that advanced to the College Cup were the No. 1 seed in their side of the bracket. The four squads have lost only twice combined, and the two losses have come against each other.
UCLA and Notre Dame are undefeated. North Carolina has one loss, which came to Notre Dame, and Stanford has one loss, which came against UCLA.
UCLA will play North Carolina in one semifinal on Friday, while Notre Dame will square off against Stanford.
The Bruins are ready for a battle.
“(Having four No. 1 seeds) will make it that much sweeter if we can win,” junior forward Lauren Cheney said. “That’s what we want, you want to play against the best teams. You want all four of the best teams there, and this year it is, and I’m excited.”
UCLA coach Jill Ellis is particularly pleased that two Pac-10 teams made it to the Final Four.
This will mark the second-straight year two Pac-10 team advanced to the College Cup. Last year UCLA and USC met in the national semifinal.
“It’s four great teams,” Ellis said. “I’m so happy that we got two from the Pac-10 in. I think that’s an excellent statement in and of itself. It’s going to be two great matchups in the semis and whoever is the better team will advance.”
For Bruin seniors like midfielder McCall Zerboni, this will be her fourth trip to the College Cup.
No player on the current roster knows anything different.
“I think I’m a little spoiled,” Zerboni said. “But you know what, it’s been a lot of work, and such great girls on the team.”
But at the same time, no Bruin has ever brought back a national championship to Westwood.
With seven seniors on this year’s roster, Cheney is confident that this year’s result will be different than the last five.
“I think that every time we went to the Final Four, it’s not that we haven’t been talented enough to win, I think at some point every time we’ve been there, we’ve kind of been scared or we haven’t played our game,” she said. “This year we have the experience ““ we have great seniors and great experience.”
Duke coach Robbie Church seems to think things may be different for the Bruins as well.
“There is something different about UCLA today,” Church said after the game Saturday night. “There was something different about the ball movement, the movement off the ball, that I think is going to give whoever they play this weekend, a really hard time.
“I saw a team today that looked really focused to me, who has a national championship as their goal, and they’re not letting much get in they’re way.”
Church said that UCLA looked “hungry” on the field.
When asked how hungry her team is to get over the hump and win it all this weekend, UCLA coach Jill Ellis responded tritely.
“We’re famished,” she said.
INJURY UPDATE: In the 74th minute of the game Saturday, Cheney collided with a Duke player who came from behind the Olympian and flipped her over, onto the grass.
Cheney stayed down for around five minutes, while medical staff attended to her, and with support, limped off the field, without putting any pressure on her left leg.
After the game, Cheney confirmed that she will still play in Friday’s semifinal, and that the injury was not serious.
“It’s fine,” she said. “I actually just got hit in the back and it started cramping in my hamstring. It’s more of a bruise.”
PERFECT AT HOME: With the win Saturday, the Bruins finished their 2008 season with a perfect home record. This marks the third consecutive season that UCLA has finished with an unblemished record at Drake Stadium, and extends the nation’s longest home win streak to 55.
Saturday was the last opportunity for seniors to play under the lights of Drake during their UCLA career.
Zerboni did her best to cherish the moment.
“We’re so happy,” she said after the game “We hugged, we grabbed some grass because this is the last time we’re on Drake, and now we’re off to the Final Four.”