Before the UCLA men’s soccer team shifts its focus to the NCAA Tournament, it has one more game to play.
The grueling 20-game regular season schedule comes to a close at 1 p.m. on Saturday, as the No. 19 Bruins (9-4-6, 6-1-2 Pac-10) face off against San Diego State (6-8-3, 3-3-3) at SDSU Sports Deck.
Though UCLA has already captured the Pac-10 Championship and secured a postseason berth, there is still much to play for.
“It’s very important,” coach Jorge Salcedo said. “If we win the game, I think we’ll be the No. 1 seed in the West. Whether or not it gets us a top seed in the Tournament is unlikely, but it will get us a good seed.”
“It’ll ensure us having a bye and a game or two at home in the playoffs.”
Having the chance to play at home to begin the postseason is plenty of motivation for the Bruins, who are 6-1-4 at Drake Stadium this season, with the lone loss coming back on Sept. 12 against Indiana.
“The guys are focused,” Salcedo said. “They understand that Saturday’s game is an important game. Our plan is to go down there and not give up a goal.”
The Bruins are quite possibly the hottest team in the West Coast, going unbeaten in 13 of their last 14 matches. Much of the recent success can be attributed to the strong defensive play. Prior to giving up a goal in the 89th minute against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo last Saturday, UCLA had not allowed a goal in 664 consecutive minutes. According to Salcedo, the strong play gives the team confidence heading into the postseason, no matter what they do against the Aztecs.
“I think we have great momentum heading into the playoffs,” Salcedo said. “We’ve only lost one game in the last 14 games. We’re playing really well and moving the ball well. No matter what happens, even if we lose the game, we go in (to the playoffs) with great momentum.”
Despite going 6-0-1 in their last seven matches, the Bruins know playing in San Diego will not be an easy task. The Aztecs have proven to be a tough obstacle to overcome in recent years. In the most recent meeting, which took place on Oct. 5 at Drake Stadium, the Bruins trailed 2-0 before junior midfielder Michael Stephens scored twice to pull his team even. The Aztecs responded with a goal to go ahead before senior forward Maxwell Griffin tied the score with just over two minutes left in regulation. The match ended in a 3-3 draw.
“San Diego State is a difficult place to play,” Salcedo said. “They’re a confident team at home. The field, at times, isn’t in the best condition but we’re familiar with that. We know what to expect.”
Aside from building its case for a No. 1 seed, the Bruins have used these last two weeks to stay in shape.
“We want to continue to build sharpness and fitness,” Salcedo said. “We worked hard on Monday – trained really intense. (Wednesday) we did some fitness because the way our schedule has sat for the last couple of weeks, it has been great for us to steal some days.”
Monday’s intense practice turned out to be a costly one, as freshman defender Chris Cummings went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The Chatsworth native, who had started at left fullback in all but one game this season, had become a key part of the defensive backfield.
“It was really disappointing for him and disheartening for the group,” Salcedo said. “Chris has been an integral part of our team and he’s grown so much in that position. He never really played that position coming into college and to see the way he’s excelled in that position has been fantastic.”
Cummings will be out for the remainder of the season, joining junior midfielder Kyle Nakazawa. Freshman forwards Prince Lapnet and Fernando Monge continue to battle injuries, but Salcedo is hopeful to get them back in time for the playoffs.
Nakazawa, Lapnet, and Monge “are three extremely dynamic players,” Salcedo said. “Cummings is our fourth major injury this season. It’s disappointing, the timing of it especially. But we’ll be fine, I’ll figure out how we can continue to be good on each game night.”
As the regular season comes to a close, Salcedo admires the resiliency his team has shown this year.
“The guys have been great about putting their heads down and working,” Salcedo said.
“They’ve been giving an honest effort no matter what I throw at them. From the schedule this season, to some travel early on, to the hard training sessions we’ve had ““ it’s all been very positive in the way they’ve responded. I feel confident in whatever we do moving forward.”