Then-No. 1 UCLA men’s soccer was rolling.
The Bruins hadn’t lost in over a month and were leading 2-0 through the first 15 minutes of their third-round NCAA Tournament game against the unseeded University of Connecticut Huskies on Dec. 1, 2013.
It was almost a foregone conclusion: the Bruins were going to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 2011.
Then they blinked.
“(We were) leading 2-0, and then we switch off a little bit and then the game changes,” said then-freshman midfielder Felix Vobejda.
UConn capitalized on UCLA’s relaxed play, scoring two unanswered goals over the next 45 minutes of play to knot the score at 2-2. Even after the Bruins took the lead back in the 61st minute, the Huskies had another answer in the 70th, sending the game into overtime tied at three.
As the game went to a penalty shootout, UConn kept coming up with answers. UCLA was left with only questions.
With the Huskies leading 5-4 during the penalty kick stage, the Bruins’ Victor Munoz had to convert his penalty kick opportunity to keep the game alive. But the then-senior midfielder’s shot was saved by the UConn goalie, opening the floodgates for the few UConn fans at Drake Stadium to storm the field in celebration.
“(That game) definitely hurt the most,” said then-redshirt junior goalkeeper Earl Edwards.
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It took almost three months after the season-ending loss for the Bruins to finally have a team meeting.
“It obviously took a little bit of time to like bounce back,” said sophomore forward/midfielder Gage Zerboni. “We had this whole reset process during the winter and spring.”
In late February, a few team leaders organized a meeting in Palm Desert, said coach Jorge Salcedo. The topic of emphasis at the meeting: making sure something like the UConn loss never happens again.
“It was an intense meeting,” Edwards said. “(We) kind of just completely want to do a complete 180 with the program.”
Edwards clarified that the team didn’t want to turn everything around, for UCLA had sustained consistent success in the regular season over the past three years, finishing in the top 15 each time. Instead, Edwards said that the team needed to establish a new mindset that would foster greater success in the postseason.
“Especially as of late, we haven’t gone to where we want to be, which is final four appearances,” Edwards said.
The meeting involved setting new standards for the program in the upcoming 2014 season – a certain cap on goals allowed, a certain number of goals scored, a certain role for every player.
“(We) spent a day and a half together, really laying out the blueprint for what we wanted the season to look like and what we wanted to accomplish,” Salcedo said. “Most importantly, what we wanted to establish was our standard, our expectation and really the roles and responsibilities of each and every player.”
The new list of goals and newly assigned roles this year have coincided with a few positive changes for the Bruins on the pitch. Their defense has improved, allowing 0.84 goals per game compared to last year’s 1.21. In addition, the Bruins have improved in protecting halftime leads, not surrendering one halftime lead all year.
“We’ve done a better job protecting leads and getting necessary wins,” Edwards said.
While the offense has fallen off a little bit, averaging 1.47 goals per game compared to last year’s 1.74 mark, the UConn loss has taught the players that defense takes precedence, especially in the NCAA Tournament.
“(The UConn loss) just raised the awareness that … even if you’re up 2-0, that we still have to defend hard and work defensively together as a team,” said senior midfielder Leo Stolz. “That’s I think the main mindset going into the tournament this year.”
Now, after nearly a full year’s time, the Bruins will finally get their chance at redemption.
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After a late-season practice last week, Edwards put in some extra work defending penalty kicks from his teammates, preparing for a repeat of the 2013 NCAA tournament in this year’s postseason run, which will be the last one of his UCLA career.
“I’ve learned over the last four tournaments I’ve been a part of,” Edwards said. “I came in with a poor mentality on how to learn … how to truly work hard.”
Edwards added that last season’s playoff experience was one of the main teaching points of his career. He said that the loss left an indelible reminder to always keep focused – regardless of the score.
“I learned quite a bit from (the UConn loss). … I think in that game, we left too much up to chance,” Edwards said. “I think this year I’m going to do everything I can and I’ll make sure the guys do everything they can to make sure we’re as prepared as possible.”
For some of Edwards’ teammates, the loss vs. UConn has left an impact as well. But akin to Edwards, the impact of the loss has turned positive.
“For me it was always a little bit in my mind still,” Vobejda said. “But (now it’s) just the motivation to do better this year and to attack in the NCAA Tournament this year and get as far as possible.”
The No. 2 seed Bruins will get their chance to start a new run and erase the memory of the UConn loss on Sunday, when they play their first NCAA Tournament game against either San Diego or Cal State Fullerton in the second round. If there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that UCLA won’t take anything for granted.
“In the tournament, everything can switch from good to bad within just minutes,” Vobejda said. “And I think this year, we’re aware of this complication, especially in the NCAA Tournament … If there’s a win, it’s (that) this year, we can do much better than last year.”