The sound of playful laughter and enthusiastic cheers floated across the North Athletic Field on a crisp Wednesday morning as the UCLA women’s soccer team ended practice with a lighthearted shooting game.
Soccer balls were drilled into the back of the net as the players took a quick succession of shots against the rotating goalies. With a pair of games against Washington and Washington State this weekend, the Bruins hope that the goals Friday and Sunday are as plentiful and effortless as they are in practice.
“I don’t think that players feel pressured to win this weekend but rather look at it as a challenge they know they can overcome,” coach Jillian Ellis said.
Looking to snap a two-game losing streak, No. 26 UCLA (9-6-1, 2-3 Pac-10) returns to Drake Stadium for its last homestand of the regular season.
The Bruins, who fell six spots in the rankings after last week’s 1-0 loss to No. 23 USC, are determined to prove that, despite their recent struggles, they are still the same team that upset No. 4 Notre Dame earlier this season.
“I truly feel that if this team plays at its highest level, we can beat anyone in the country,” Ellis said.
“However, the inconsistency needs to be eliminated because now, we are at a point in the season where we need to get results.”
Anything less than a pair of wins would be a disappointment to the team, which has not lost against the Huskies (10-6-1, 3-3) or the Cougars (6-11, 1-5) at UCLA since 2004.
The Bruins have won nine in a row against a Washington team that enters Friday’s match having lost three of their last four games by a margin of one goal. Washington State has dropped four games in a row, with the Cougars’ most recent defeat coming at the hands of Oregon Sunday.
In anticipation for this weekend, the team has already put Friday’s dramatic loss in the 86th minute to the Women of Troy behind them.
“When you are an athlete, you have to move forward pretty quickly,” Ellis said of last week’s defeat. “At this point in the season, this team knows how they need to play, so it really comes down to this Friday night and making the decision that we are going to give our best effort.”
If there was anything that the Bruins gained during the game against USC, it was attitude.
“We are ready to play tougher,” senior forward Liz Zadro said. “We are definitely sick of losing, so it’s all about mentality now. Everyone just really wants to perform to help the team.”
Sunday’s match against Washington State marks the last regular-season home game for seven Bruin seniors. For Zadro, the milestone comes at an appropriate time.
“I feel good,” she said. “There are so many memories on the field, and I am with the people I have been with for four years. It makes me happy, because I love playing (at Drake), so I’m looking forward to it.”
Senior defender Lauren Barnes is slightly less upbeat than Zadro, recognizing that her last home game will be a bittersweet moment.
The consistent anchor of the Bruins’ solid defense, Barnes has appeared in all but one of every single match since her freshman year, all as a starter.
“I try not to think about it,” she said. “It is sad but also exciting because it is our senior game. We have worked so hard for these last four years, so hopefully we can just enjoy the moment.”