The Bruins kicked off October with a 2-0 win at home over Washington State. They then had a scoreless draw against Washington, but two notable wins came on Oct. 10 and 13, when the team beat Stanford on the road for the first time since 2008 and handed Cal its first loss of the season.
The wins against the Cardinal and Bears gave the Bruins a significant lead in the Pac-12 standings, but more importantly, they put the team on the right path to take the Pac-12 title, something the team has not done since 2008 – they also solidified the Bruins as strong contenders to take the NCAA championship.
With the regular season coming to an end in the next few weeks, teams start to pick up intensity to peak during playoffs.
Freshman forward Darian Jenkins said that UCLA is in good shape for the postseason.
“I think that mentally we are all ready to go into the (NCAA) tournament, we are ready to go hard, and physically we are definitely prepared to go in, so I think we definitely have a good chance (at the NCAA title),” Jenkins said.
The Bruins have had success in defense and offense all season long. Coach Amanda Cromwell said that UCLA has proven to be a quality opponent and is a candidate for both the Pac-12 title and the NCAA title.
“The product that they have been putting on the field is very high level, so the potential is there for the championships,” Cromwell said.
But she also said that there could be some improvements, even with the performances that UCLA has been displaying against its opponents.
“ I think that sometimes we get a little bit too gritty, a little bit too anxious with our playmaking, and I feel like we have to go forward … and just be more patient in the attack,” Cromwell said.
Playing in her last season as a Bruin, redshirt senior goalkeeper Alana Munger said she thinks the UCLA women’s soccer program is ready to win its first NCAA title.
“I think we are in a really good place right now. We definitely still have things to work on and you don’t want to reach your peak right now, but I think we’re all so excited at the opportunity that we have to be able to get the first NCAA championship for women’s soccer,” Munger said.
“I think that this team has the potential to do it … and of course it is my final season so I’m very much emotional … and just trying to do everything I can for the team to make sure that we can get there.”