Facing their biggest test of the season, freshman forward Taylor Smith said the Bruins’ secret to success is their focused attitude throughout the week.
Last year, UCLA women’s soccer had just one regular season loss.
It came in Palo Alto against Stanford. Then the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, the Bruins and the Cardinal faced off in a match to decide who was the top team.
The UCLA squad fell 4-1, scoring just one goal off the foot of then-junior midfielder Zakiya Bywaters.
In the last two seasons, it’s the only loss on UCLA’s record. It’s the only loss for coach B.J. Snow, as last year was his first year as coach.
While Stanford is now No. 1 again, and UCLA is No. 2, there are a lot of differences for the blue and gold between 2011 and 2012.
Sophomore forward Rosie White believes this year’s team is a brand new one with an entirely changed attitude.
“It feels completely different this year, I think we have a lot more confidence. … This team has come together and we’ve done so well this far. We’re just feeling good,” White said.
This year, UCLA is still the same kind of young team that they were in 2011. However, they are going into their last two weekends still undefeated, with only two ties marring their record.
It’s a different kind of team this year, even though their makeup is very much the same.
“I think part of that comes from maturity, we’re stll the youngest team in the country. … We’ve gone through some growing pains, we have a year of experience, and the level of playing shows a lot more consistency,” Snow said.
And although those young players, such as freshman forward Taylor Smith, may not have faced the glaring red of the Cardinal before, they know what kind of team they are this year.
In terms of what has made them such a strong squad this season, Smith cited not what they do in games, but in the week leading up to them.
“I think it’s about our focus at practice, how we manage to execute the drills at practice and remember them as we move into the games,” Smith said.
But while the red of the Stanford uniforms may pop out of the schedule to some, Snow does not want to focus on anything but their most immediate task ““ a Friday game against California.
“We’re not looking towards the Sunday game. We’re looking towards Friday; we won’t even focus on Sunday’s game until we finish up what we have to do Friday,” Snow said.BY Emma Coghlan
Bruin Sports senior staff
ecoghlan@media.ucla.edu
Last year, UCLA women’s soccer had just one regular season loss.
It came in Palo Alto against Stanford. Then the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, the Bruins and the Cardinal faced off in a match to decide who was the top team.
The UCLA squad fell 4-1, scoring just one goal off the foot of then-junior midfielder Zakiya Bywaters.
In the last two seasons, it’s the only loss on UCLA’s record. It’s the only loss for coach B.J. Snow, as last year was his first year as coach.
While Stanford is now No. 1 again, and UCLA is No. 2, there are a lot of differences for the blue and gold between 2011 and 2012.
Sophomore forward Rosie White believes this year’s team is a brand new one with an entirely changed attitude.
“It feels completely different this year, I think we have a lot more confidence. … This team has come together and we’ve done so well this far. We’re just feeling good,” White said.
This year, UCLA is still the same kind of young team that they were in 2011. However, they are going into their last two weekends still undefeated, with only two ties marring their record.
It’s a different kind of team this year, even though their makeup is very much the same.
“I think part of that comes from maturity, we’re stll the youngest team in the country. … We’ve gone through some growing pains, we have a year of experience, and the level of playing shows a lot more consistency,” Snow said.
And although those young players, such as freshman forward Taylor Smith, may not have faced the glaring red of the Cardinal before, they know what kind of team they are this year.
In terms of what has made them such a strong squad this season, Smith cited not what they do in games, but in the week leading up to them.
“I think it’s about our focus at practice, how we manage to execute the drills at practice and remember them as we move into the games,” Smith said.
But while the red of the Stanford uniforms may pop out of the schedule to some, Snow does not want to focus on anything but their most immediate task ““ a Friday game against California.
“We’re not looking towards the Sunday game. We’re looking towards Friday; we won’t even focus on Sunday’s game until we finish up what we have to do Friday,” Snow said.