Imagine having one of the greatest games in UCLA history and not
even realizing it.
On Oct. 25, Bruin goalkeeper Zach Wells tied the school record
for saves with 11 and got an assist to help UCLA beat Oregon State
3-0.
“I couldn’t see the scoreboard because of the sun,
and I didn’t know I had that many saves,” Wells said.
“It wasn’t until after the game when (teammate) Matt
Taylor told me “˜Hey, you got a lot of saves today’ that
I found out I had that many.”
It isn’t the saves that Wells cares about. It’s the
shutouts.
Wells has six this year, and has been a part of seven ““ he
was taken out early in UCLA’s 7-0 win over San Diego State on
Sept. 29.
“You always go into a game looking for a shutout,”
Wells said. “There are always chances to score later in the
game, but it’s more difficult when you’re scored on
early.”
His six shutouts are second in the Pacific-10, behind only
Cal’s Josh Saunders, who has eight. However, Wells leads the
Pac-10 in goals allowed per game (0.62) and save percentage
(.873).
Wells also holds the UCLA record for most consecutive shutout
minutes with 541, something even U.S. World Cup goalie Brad Friedel
never accomplished in his days (1990-1992) at UCLA.
“A good goalkeeper is usually the difference in a
game,” UCLA head coach Tom Fitzgerald said.
“We’ve had games where we haven’t played well but
good goalkeeping has bailed us out.”
Case in point: Oct. 6. UCLA 0, No. 1 St. John’s 0. The No.
5 Bruins were outshot by the Red Storm 17-7, but still came away
without a loss.
“That’s what makes good teams good,”
Fitzgerald said. “When your goalkeeper is playing
well.”
Not only is Wells playing well, but his teammates are too.
The Bruins are in first place in the Pac-10, a conference that
contains three of the top 12 teams in the country.
“We’ve proven that we’re national title
contenders,” Wells said. “When you look at what
we’ve done to top-ranked teams this year, we’ve proven
it on the West Coast and on the East Coast.”
And to be a national title contender, you need a leader. Wells
gives the Bruins that leader.
“Wells is a good leader,” Fitzgerald said. “He
motivates players on and off of the field, and good leaders make
you play harder.”
Wells has also been helping two freshman goalkeepers on the
roster this year, Nate Pena and Eric Reed. Pena is the only one who
has seen game action, starting one game when Wells was injured and
playing in one other as a backup.
“(Wells) has taught me that when you make mistakes, you
just have to look at the next opportunity,” Pena said.
“You can’t get frustrated, you just have to stop the
next one.
“He makes the whole team feel confident,” Pena
added.
Wells is becoming a part of UCLA’s illustrious soccer
history, a part of a program that has won three national
championships and put five players on the U.S. World Cup roster
that went to the quarterfinals in June.
Wells, a junior, hopes to continue in that tradition when he
leaves.
“It’s a goal of mine to play in the MLS,”
Wells said. “It’s very encouraging, being at UCLA, the
right environment, and surrounded by some of the best players in
the country.”
“He has a lot of potential,” Fitzgerald, former
coach of the MLS Columbus Crew (1996-2001), said. “If he
keeps improving the way he has, he’ll be in a position to get
drafted in the MLS.”
Sounds like Wells is well on his way to that goal.