Impenetrable might be an understatement when talking about the defense of the UCLA women’s soccer team.
The No. 1 Bruins (14-1-2, 7-0-0 Pac-10) have been able to stop nearly everything that has been thrown their way, and the opposition has yet to muster up a plan that UCLA doesn’t have an answer for.
A significant reason behind the ability of the Bruins to fluster the offensive attack of its opponents has been the idea of collective team defense that coach Jill Ellis has stressed this season.
“Overall, team-wise, our defending has been better,” Ellis said. “I think our forwards and midfielders have been working harder defensively, which takes pressure off our defenders. Our team has bought into team defense and what it takes.”
With the Bruin midfielders and forwards dropping back and playing defense at midfield and in the attacking third, the Bruins’ back line has been able to fill in nicely when the ball does come into the backfield.
Junior defender Erin Hardy is quick to attribute much of the defense’s success to senior goalkeeper Valerie Henderson and the ability of the offense both to maintain possession and serve as the initial line of defense.
“It starts from the forwards,” Hardy said. “In the past, the team defense hasn’t been so good. Now, it’s a whole team and I think that’s a big reason we’re playing so well.”
Additionally, the UCLA attack has been consistently scoring goals and has recorded at least one goal in all but one game. While the two sides of the ball have combined to outscore their opponents by an incredible 45 to 10 margin, Ellis still doesn’t feel her team has reached its full potential. The Bruins will be looking to add to that goal differential this weekend, when they close out Pac-10 play in Washington.
Although the offense has been supporting the defense, the roles reversed this past weekend when the Bruins defeated Arizona State and Arizona. Freshman defender Lauren Barnes and sophomore defender Lauren Wilmoth both recorded goals in performances that were dominated by stellar offense, highlighting yet another facet of this year’s Bruin squad ““ an attacking mentality that extends to the defense.
“Our backs ““ especially Wilmoth and Barnes ““ they’ve been a big part of our attack because we’ve been getting them forward,” Ellis said. “If you’re doing well on the attacking third of your game, then defensively you can afford to rest a little bit and it takes some pressure off you.”
But for now, UCLA isn’t ready to rest until its ultimate goal of capturing a National Championship is accomplished, and until they attain that feat, the Bruin defenders will continue to maintain their aggressive play, while continuing to feed the Bruin offense.
“I think staying strong is going to be important, and being able to keep the ball so our offense gets more chances,” junior midfielder Catherine Calvert said.