The UCLA women’s soccer team has not lost at home this season.
The team has played 10 home games, including last week’s first round of playoffs, and won nine. The only draw came in early October against Washington. The Bruins have also outscored their rivals in home games, 26-1. The sole goal was scored by USC in the last game of the regular season.
Considering the team’s success at home and the physical and mental aspect of the game, coach Amanda Cromwell said that UCLA is ready to face Kentucky today at Drake Stadium in the second-round match of the NCAA tournament.
“Physically I think we’re in good shape. I think we’ve been knock-on-wood fortunate (to not have injuries) all year. … I think the girls feel ready to go,” Cromwell said. “Then the mental side, being able to host this round, the potential Sweet 16 round, is huge and we’ve been very good at home this year. So I think, all things considered, we’re in really good shape.”
For the second straight year, UCLA and Kentucky will meet in the second-round match. The Bruins beat the Wildcats 5-0 in last year’s game.
Sophomore forward Taylor Smith said that the key to a victory against the Wildcats is to be mentally prepared.
“I think it’s a matter of us just focusing on ourselves and mentally showing up and then executing it on the field,” Smith said. “We are really excited. We’ve been preparing for this for a really long time. … We’re really focused and we work really hard, so we’re pretty ready for the match.”
Senior defender Chelsea Stewart said that in addition to the game tactics that the Bruins will have, it’s important to play with emotion.
“I think in any tournament game you have to come together as a team and put your full effort into it,” Stewart said. “But I think that one of the most important things is putting your passion into it because I think teams who want it more tend to have a little bit of an edge to it.”
If UCLA moves on to the third round, the team will play on Sunday against the winner of the Stanford-South Carolina match. The Bruins fell to the Cardinal in the postseason three of the last four years and they have never played against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Cromwell said that it is difficult to play two playoff matches in three days, but she said the weather conditions are adequate and the Bruins have a talented group, so if they move on they will be ready for Sunday’s match.
“Playing Friday, Sunday in a game of soccer is always hard, (especially) that Sunday game because the Friday one takes so much out of you,” Cromwell said.
“The fortunate thing about being out here (in Los Angeles) is that we don’t have to deal with the heat as I used to in the East Coast then in Florida. … Here it’s a 4 o’clock game, it’s colder, so as far as the weather goes it should be nice and we’re so deep that I think we’re able to get a good rotation in that Friday game so no one feels like they’re totally spent off.”