For many members of the UCLA women’s soccer team, the heightened atmosphere of the match last Friday couldn’t have been more familiar.
USC rode into town and brought with it the hoopla that follows any outing sure to pit the two crosstown rivals against each other.
“It’s always phenomenal when we play USC,” junior midfielder Kylie Wright said. “It’s loud, and it’s always a battle, so it was awesome.”
But for freshman defender Lucretia Lee, Friday’s match was her first taste of the local rivalry, making for a night filled with high emotions.
“I was super excited, for one,” she said. “I thought it was a big deal, and it honestly felt different from all of the other games. It was definitely a lot of intensity.”
Defender Sophie Metz, also a freshman, shared Lee’s sentiments, though she expected a bit more.
“I actually thought it was going to be more physical,” Metz said. “It was still an exciting game. I was a little nervous going into the match, but I had a lot of fun.”
Adrenaline and jitters aside, coach Jillian Ellis was pleased with her freshmen’s performances, given the extended period of time they were on the field.
Lee and Metz played for 36 and 39 minutes, respectively, while freshman midfielder Zakiya Bywaters played for 75 minutes. Fellow freshman midfielder Chelsea Cline logged 61 minutes and had an assist on the game-winning goal.
“Those games are high-energy and high-octane,” Ellis said. “It’s an amazing environment for them to step into in preparation for the postseason, and I thought they did very well.”
Bruins get defensive
UCLA’s defense put on another stellar performance in its victory over USC.
The Women of Troy had seven corner kicks that night, yet none of them converted into goals.
To senior defender Dea Cook, the key for defensive success is simple: assistant coach B.J. Snow.
“B.J. has just helped me and the whole back line so much in terms of organizing ourselves and working together as a group,” she said. “He’s very big on just the little things.”
Among Snow’s primary concerns is establishing familiarity among a crowded backfield.
“Much of the things that we’ve been working on is consistency,” Snow said.
“We’ve probably had eight or nine different girls start a game in the back, so a lot of it has to do with continuity and getting used to playing with each other.”
That said, the assistant has also harped on proper mechanics, something that can easily be overlooked.
“We also have worked on body mechanics and body shape,” he said. “By putting themselves in the right position, they’ll have a much higher success rate than they would if they were five yards off or if their bodies were turned the wrong way.”
Cheney hits the record books
At the 77:08 mark of Friday’s match, senior forward Lauren Cheney scored her 11th goal of the season, leading her team to a 2-1 victory.
It was the 26th game-winning goal of her career, moving her into the career-lead in a three-way tie with Danesha Adams and Traci Arkenberg.