The “Leo Stolz Show” may be in its last year at UCLA, but its main man is determined to make sure it doesn’t end anytime soon.
In the two-plus years Stolz has been at UCLA, the Bruins have never made it past the third round of the NCAA tournament. As he stated after Sunday’s game against San Diego State, that’s something he aims to change this year.
On Sunday afternoon, the senior showed just how he could do that. Stolz – regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the country – ran rampant through the San Diego State defense, his clinical ability on full display in the Bruins’ 2-1 win over the Aztecs (7-12-0, 1-9-0 Pac-12).
The focal point of the Bruin attack was seemingly everywhere, spraying through balls across the pitch one moment, then scampering 30 yards to make a tackle in the next. Stolz’s 31st-minute strike – his seventh of the season – put the Bruins ahead, and his play ensured the team didn’t cough up that lead.
“Obviously Leo is our go-to player and he’s the one we expect to make plays, and he did,” said coach Jorge Salcedo. “I was very happy with his goal-scoring ability today, because that was a great, fantastic goal.”
Thirty-seven minutes after the Bruins took the lead, another one of UCLA’s offensive stars doubled his team’s lead. Freshman forward Abu Danladi has been injured for much of the year, but the two-week break allowed him to regain match fitness – and he made an immediate impact.
Racing past the Aztec backline to take sophomore midfielder Willie Raygoza’s through pass at the right corner of the 18-yard box, Danladi was faced with the onrushing Aztec goalkeeper. The freshman dribbled past the keeper and slotted a diagonal ball into the empty net for the match winner.
The goal was an exhibition of Danladi’s skill and maturity. He’s a player who – if healthy – will be crucial for the Bruins (11-4-4, 6-2-2) in the NCAA tournament, Stolz said.
The two weeks that allowed Danladi to recover were also crucial for the rest of the team, said junior defender Javan Torre.
“These two weeks off helped the group a lot, I think,” he said. “Practice was solid, and I think it translated into the game today. We looked good, and this was a good start going into the (NCAA) tournament.”
Where to now?
With the San Diego State game marking the end to the regular season, the postseason beckons for No. 6 UCLA. Though the Bruins missed out on a chance to win the Pac-12 title when Stanford beat Cal on Sunday, their No. 1 RPI ranking suggests that they are in position for a high seed and first-round bye in the NCAA tournament.
The NCAA men’s soccer tournament bracket will be released on Monday afternoon.