Last year, UCLA women’s soccer visited Oregon State low on confidence and it showed. The Bruins turned in a poor display and left Corvallis with another loss en route to missing the postseason.
This year, fortunes could not be any more different for No. 11 UCLA (7-2-0, 1-0 Pac-12), which will return to Corvallis after having won its past four matches. Confidence is high and results are good.
“I believe we’re on the up and up,” said redshirt junior defender Zoey Goralski. “We’re hitting our stride and looking good.”
The Bruins successfully navigated a challenging non-conference schedule and opened Pac-12 play with a win last week against Arizona State without being at full strength.
Multiple key players, including freshman midfielder Jessie Fleming, redshirt freshman forward/midfielder Anika Rodriguez and junior defender MacKenzie Cerda, have missed time due to injuries.
[Related: UCLA’s depth allows for success despite injuries]
The gap provided by UCLA not having a game this past weekend gave the team additional recovery time.
“It was time for people to heal,” said coach Amanda Cromwell. “We had a couple of injured players that now we will have back. We were able to give the players two days off. It was a good break for them.”
With important players returning to the pitch before heading up north to face the Beavers, the Bruins look for the statement performance that has eluded them so far this season.
“They’re capable of (putting it together), but it’s a mentality thing and understanding how we can’t control how the other team comes out and does something different,” Cromwell said. “We have to react to that better. It doesn’t matter what the other team is going to do, it’s about what we’re going to do.”
Although Oregon State is unranked and, on paper, the heavy underdog, UCLA is aware of the challenges the opponent presents. The players and coach focused their comments on the Beavers’ defense, which will likely try to remain compact and force the Bruins to find a way through.
This is the same tactic that Arizona State pulled out in the second half of the previous game and gave UCLA’s attack fits. Seeing it again presents the Bruins with an opportunity for improvement.
[Related: Women’s soccer controls Arizona State game despite second half slowdown]
“Oregon State is usually very organized. They play a 4-4-2 with two blocks of four that they don’t vary from too much, so it’s going to be hard to break them down,” Cromwell said. “We have to get better in the middle and attacking zones – better decision making, the quality of our passes and the off-ball runs.”
Ultimately, senior midfielder Annie Alvarado said the team is looking for further proof that it used last season’s shortcomings to push them towards a positive result on this trip to Corvallis.
“We use last year’s loss as a learning tool for when we approach them this time,” Alvarado said. “We know the way they are going to play, the formation and now we know what not to do and what to do in order to break down what is a very good, organized team.”