The outcome of Sunday afternoon’s game at Drake Stadium resembled the UCLA men’s soccer team’s recent results.
The Bruins have gone unbeaten, but also winless, for more than two weeks. The latest match, which ended in a 3-3 tie against San Diego State, marked the fourth consecutive draw for the Bruins.
Perhaps more important than the result itself was the way the Bruins got there.
The Bruins went into halftime down 2-0 but battled back to tie the game halfway through the second half. The momentum seemed to shift to UCLA’s side once junior midfielder Michael Stephens scored the game-tying goal, especially since the Aztecs had lost a player due to ejection.
In spite of this advantage, a costly defensive mistake left the Bruins facing another one-goal deficit with just eight minutes left in regulation. Then, with just over two minutes to go, the Bruins scored a dramatic, game-tying goal to send the game into overtime.
“We have character,” freshman forward Prince Lapnet said following the game. “We just don’t give up. That’s just the character of the team.”
The Bruins have made a habit of falling behind before displaying impressive late-game heroics. On Sept. 28 against Cal State Northridge, a resilient UCLA squad fell behind twice before tying the score with just more than five minutes left in the game.
In a 2-2 tie against UC Santa Barbara last week, the Bruins trailed 1-0 before coming back to take a lead.
Though the Bruins have not been able to emerge victorious in their last four matches, Lapnet sees positive aspects of his team’s recent play.
“We had a lot of opportunities, and we created chances. That means we’re doing something right,” Lapnet said. “We need to keep bringing the intensity and finishing.”
Though UCLA has only won a pair of games this season, the team has come away with five ties.
“We haven’t put ourselves out of anything yet,” Stephens said. “We only have two wins, but a lot of draws; only three losses, but all of them against top-15 teams, so we can still be positive about this season.”
INJURY UPDATE: The Bruins have not lost a game in their last five contests, but they have lost crucial players due to injuries. Though UCLA has come away with a point by tying in its last four games, coach Jorge Salcedo said his team could be in a better position if it were at full strength.
The injuries do not allow Salcedo to put his strongest team on the field; they also do not give the Bruins a consistent lineup, which can affect the team’s ability to find a collective rhythm.
“Unfortunately, that has to do with getting guys on the practice field,” Salcedo said. “The way our schedule has been over the last three weeks, we haven’t had much training because it’s more recovery and preparation for the next game.
“We’re doing what we can to put healthy guys out there. That’s frustrating as well because I feel that this team deserves more from this season.”
The Bruins, already without starting junior midfielder Kyle Nakazawa, were dealt another blow in their game against UC Santa Barbara earlier this month when senior defender Brad Rusin was sidelined with a bruised toe.
Both Nakazawa and Rusin could return to the pitch this weekend in crucial Pac-10 games against California and Stanford.
Salcedo can hardly wait until he has a healthy roster to choose from, but he knows that time is slowly ticking away.
“When we get healthy, I hope we don’t run out of time,” Salcedo said.
Lapnet, who Salcedo claimed has not been playing to his capabilities because of a hamstring injury, remains optimistic about what the future holds for his battered team.
“We’ll be stronger, definitely. When everyone’s healthy, I don’t think there’s anybody in the Pac-10 who is going to touch us,” Lapnet said.