The UCLA men’s soccer team had not gone three straight conference games without a win since 2009, but on Monday night, that streak came to an end.
In what was a true test of mettle and guts, No. 5 UCLA (7-3-3, 2-1-2 Pac-12) could only fashion a 2-2 draw against No. 3 Washington.
While the result – a draw on the road against an elite team– will look impressive if looked at independently, it’s the collective run of recent results that will have the Bruins feeling anxious. Three straight games without a win has put hopes of winning a third straight Pac-12 championship in jeopardy, especially considering the short season and strength of the opposition.
It was an inauspicious first half for the Bruins as they found themselves a goal down in the 30th minute and once again struggled to put away any of their scoring chances. They came out a different team at the start of the second half, however, as senior forwards Victor Chavez and Max Estrada both scored over the span of less than two minutes in the 49th and 50th minutes respectively. The task was then holding off Washington for the last 40 minutes – UCLA could only do it for 36.
The Huskies’ first score of the night was a fluky goal of sorts, symbolic of the less-than-stellar luck UCLA has had over the past three games. Washington sent the ball into the box, which was deflected off a Bruin for a Washington goal.
The Bruins had played well down the stretch of games so far this season, scoring in the final minutes in three out of their first four games. It was likely that eventually the Bruins would find themselves on the wrong end of the same situation, only they were hoping it wasn’t Monday night. Both teams would end up having to settle for sharing the spoils after neither side was able to score in overtime.
The draw means the Bruins have eight points in the Pac-12 after five games, putting them in third place behind Washington (with 11 points) and Cal (with 10 points). Although the point difference isn’t large, Cal still has a significant advantage because it has played one less game than UCLA.
The Bruins won’t have to wait long for another chance to end their mini-rut, as they return to Drake Stadium for a rematch against Oregon State on Friday.