At first glance, this year’s early-season cross-country road trip may look like any other from past seasons for the UCLA men’s soccer team.
But for sophomore defender Matt Wiet, this trip means so much more. That’s because Wiet, a recent transfer from Indiana University, and his teammates will go up against the Hoosiers this weekend, the same squad that the No. 5 Bruins have lost to in the last two meetings between the two teams.
Wiet welcomes the opportunity to go back to Bloomington, Ind., this time donning the blue and gold.
“It’s going to be special to play in their house and be on the other side of things,” Wiet said. “The crowd is gunning for you when you’re against them … but I think we can match their level.”
Wiet said he still keeps in touch with some of his former teammates, but come Sunday, his friendly demeanor may have to be shelved for 90 minutes.
“I know pretty much all of the guys on the team, even the incoming guys, and I would gladly talk to them for an hour on a regular day. But when it comes to game time, I’m a Bruin,” he said.
But before Wiet and the Bruins take on No. 20 Indiana on Sunday, they will face Notre Dame on Friday. And in preparation for the start of the season, coach Jorge Salcedo has been sorting out his frontline after sophomore forward Chandler Hoffman fractured his leg on the first day of practice.
“(Hoffman) is out for hopefully no more than six weeks, and although it’s a difficult injury to have at the beginning of the year, it’s also in some ways fortunate that it was on the first day,” Salcedo said.
Although the team is young and still in the process of finalizing the starting lineup, junior midfielder Andy Rose insists UCLA has one goal in mind.
“We have the guys to go out and win, and there’s no doubt in our minds that we’re going there for two victories,” Rose said.