Though one team advanced to the NCAA Championship last season
and the other failed to even make the 64-team tournament, the
bitter rivals finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the off-season, and that
fact bodes well for the futures of both programs.
With the USC women’s soccer team (6-3-1) bringing in the
nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class, and with UCLA (10-1)
right behind at No. 2, an already hot rivalry, which continues
tonight at 7 p.m. at Drake Stadium, appears ready to heat up.
“They had a very talented class coming in,” UCLA
coach Jill Ellis said of the Trojans. “It’s
strengthened them, and I think the result will be a great rivalry
for the next few years.”
And though the Bruin coach will point to intense, close battles
over the years, the truth is that UCLA has had a disproportionate
amount of success in the rivalry, leading the all-time series
13-2-1. The Bruins are unbeaten in the last eight meetings between
the schools.
Ellis, now in her seventh season in Westwood, has guided the
UCLA program to national prominence, winning the Pac-10 title the
last two seasons and advancing to the College Cup three times in
the last five years. UCLA’s success has been such that USC
coach Jim Millinder can’t help but heap praise on the program
across town.
“They’re our rival, but they’re kind of our
measuring stick, too,” Millinder said.
In fact, it was this measuring stick that caused Millinder to
transform his recruiting philosophy several seasons ago, a change
that he believes is responsible for much of his recruiting success
this year.
Three seasons ago, Millinder’s Trojans lost 1-0 to UCLA in
double overtime in the second round of the NCAA tournament. He felt
that his team played as well as it was capable of playing, yet they
still lost.
“I thought, “˜This isn’t working, and
I’ve got to change,'” Millinder said.
So the Trojan coach set his sights on the high school class of
2005, opting to save up scholarships over the last several seasons
and awarding six full scholarships to this year’s freshman
class.
And quite a freshman class it is.
The prize of the Trojan class, which is ranked No. 1 by Student
Sports Magazine, is forward Amy Rodriguez, who was named the
Gatorade and Parade Magazine National Player of the Year last year.
She also played for UCLA’s Ellis on the United States
Under-21 national team and has four goals and five assists this
season.
“She’s a wonderful kid,” Ellis said.
“She’s a great personality, fun to watch, an exciting
player. She’s just very good.”
Millinder’s class also includes U-19 national team member
Meagan Holmes. Holmes, a defender, had originally committed to
Santa Clara but had a last-minute change-of-heart and decided to
attend USC.
Now the Trojans, who are picked to finish second in the Pac-10
this season, are beginning to learn what Ellis and the Bruins
already know.
“With a highly touted recruiting class comes
expectations,” Ellis said. “When I first came here, the
expectations weren’t as high.
“The challenge now is when you have good players in there,
people expect results. People are now expecting us to go to the
College Cup.”
Year in and year out, Ellis has been able to bring in the type
of recruiting class that has made that possible.
This year was no different, as the Bruin freshman class,
headlined by Canadian national team member and No. 1 overall
recruit Kara Lang, has made an immediate impact on the
Bruins’ early-season success. UCLA’s exceptional class
also includes midfielders Christina DiMartino and McCall Zerboni,
as well as defender Erin Hardy, all of whom start for the
Bruins.
“We’re doing really well,” said Lang, who has
five goals and three assists in nine games. “It’s a
little bit of a culture shock, but I’m getting used to
it.”
Lang, who first played for the Canadian national team when she
was 15, is having to get used to the more technical,
possession-oriented style of play favored by the Bruins, but Ellis
has been incredibly pleased with the freshman’s eagerness to
learn.
“It’s something I’ve really needed to work on,
so I’m excited about having that aspect added to my
game,” Lang said. “It’s a good thing.”
So is the fact that USC appears to be making the rise to
national prominence.
“If you have several ranked teams in the Pac-10, it only
helps you in your seeding, in preparing for the playoffs,”
Ellis said. “The harder games you can play, the
better.”
But Millinder isn’t about to announce the arrival of his
program. In his mind, his Trojans haven’t proven anything
yet.
“We’re on the right track, but we’ve got to
gain experience,” he said. “We need to learn how to be
college athletes.”
As for tonight’s game, Ellis believes that this is the
best team USC has had since she’s been the coach at UCLA. She
feels that the quality of soccer should be very high, and that it
will continue to be so in the near future.
And though Millinder is clearly pleased with his freshmen and
the direction his program is headed, he realizes that it’s
still pretty difficult to measure up.
“To beat UCLA, you’ve got to play just about the
perfect game,” he said. “They’re that
good.”