Under coach Amanda Cromwell, UCLA women’s soccer has thrived in the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins captured the program’s first national title in 2013 and appeared in the Elite Eight two seasons ago.
After a convincing 3-0 victory against Seattle in the first round Friday, fourth-seeded UCLA (14-5-1) could be poised for another deep run.
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But to retain its current win streak, the squad will first have to defeat an unfamiliar adversary in Nebraska (11-5-5) – a team it hasn’t faced since 1998.
“They have a specific game plan, they definitely try to be disruptive and they are very organized,” Cromwell said. “They’ll look to trap us in certain parts of the field, they’re very good at countering and they have some quality attacking players that can be very dangerous.”
The Cornhuskers’ offense finished in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, recording 25 goals in 21 games. It’s largely based around a trio of threats in senior forward Jaycie Johnson, senior midfielder Sydney Miramontez and junior midfielder Haley Hanson.
Johnson and Hanson have notched a combined 18 goals, including six game-winners, while Miramontez leads the team with seven assists, which ranks fifth in the conference.
Although Nebraska sports a reliable offense, its foundation lies in its defense.
Led by freshman goalkeeper Aubrei Corder, the Cornhuskers’ defensive unit has not allowed a goal in its past six matches and has shut out 11 opponents thus far.
“They play very high in the back line,” Cromwell said. “Their goalkeeper plays very high – we’ve seen her get chipped a few times. We just need to be really aware of what they are trying to take away and exploit what they are giving us.”
UCLA has hit its stride on offense with the implementation of its new 4-3-3 formation. With free-flowing wingers and an innovative midfield corps, the Bruins have found their niche in the opponents’ third of the field.
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Even against a formidable Cornhuskers back line, Cromwell said no huge adjustments will need to be made as long as players continue their strong attacking play.
“We watched the video from the Seattle game, and there’s some really good soccer in there,” Cromwell said. “I just want to continue to build on that – our movement off the ball, our decision-making and combination plays were (all) good.”
After missing the NCAA Tournament last season, UCLA needs just three more victories to reach this year’s College Cup.
But while players are excited and determined to make a deep run toward a national title, Cromwell said they must focus on one opponent at a time to ultimately reach their goal.
“It’s always about taking each game as a championship game,” Cromwell said. “It’s single elimination, so you have to have that mindset. That’s kind of how we present it to them.”