Before every game, the UCLA women’s soccer team outlines
various things to concentrate on. Invariably, one of those is
something the team calls “The Big Five.” These are
critical five-minute junctures that arise in the course of every
game: the first five minutes, the last five minutes before
halftime, the first five minutes after halftime, and the last five
minutes of the match. The final piece of “The Big Five”
is the five minutes after a goal is scored, a facet the Bruins
seemed to master in their first- and second-round playoff games
over the weekend. UCLA scored twice in a matter of 27 seconds in
its first-round victory over San Diego on Friday. Then the
team’s two goals Sunday against Pepperdine came 44 seconds
apart. “Right after a goal is scored is a critical
moment,” coach Jill Ellis said. “That’s where
psychologically you try to pounce if you’re the attacking
team.” And pounce they did, effectively taking both San Diego
and Pepperdine out of games they had been tied in just one minute
before. “They did exactly to us what they did to San
Diego,” Pepperdine coach Tim Ward said. “It just took
the wind out of our sails.” “So many times you can
outplay a team but not score and lose,” sophomore midfielder
Jill Oakes said. “But when you get that goal in, it just
boosts your confidence and you get hungry for more.
“That’s what it was. We tasted the first goal and we
wanted another one.”
LINDSTROM STILL RECOVERING: Sophomore
midfielder Stacy Lindstrom, who has been slowed by a high ankle
sprain suffered Oct. 17 against Stanford, played 42 minutes against
Pepperdine, nearly scoring on a header in 71st minute.
“I’m definitely not back to 100 percent,” she
said. “I think my ankle is, but I still have a ways to go for
endurance. You can do cardio every day, but it’s a whole
different situation when you’re playing a 90-minute
game.”
BRACKET WATCH: The first major upset of the
tournament took place Sunday in South Bend, Ind., as Michigan
shocked No. 2 seed Notre Dame 1-0. Michigan senior Stephanie Chavez
scored the game’s lone goal in the 52nd minute, and the
Wolverines, who were outshot 13-3, beat the Fighting Irish for the
second time in three weeks. Michigan (11-7-6) will advance to the
tournament’s third round to face Connecticut, while Notre
Dame ends its season 20-3-1. No. 3 seed Florida (18-3-2) needed
double overtime to win its first- and second-round games, a 3-2
victory over Central Florida Nov. 14 and a 4-3 win against Ole Miss
Sunday. No. 1 North Carolina (23-0-0) continued its perfect season
through the first two rounds, beating High Point 8-0 and UNC
Greensboro 5-0.