Moving back, stepping up

It was just like old times. Just one week ago against USC, there
was senior Bristyn Davis in the middle of it all, leading the
Bruins to victory in sudden death overtime.

Except this wasn’t really like old times. There was
something different. Davis was pushing forward and attacking, the
skills that had made her an All-American out of St. Anthony’s
High School in New York in 2003, but this time she was the one
making the pass for the winning goal instead of scoring it.

Despite playing and starring as a forward her first two years at
UCLA, Davis has spent the last two years stopping goals instead of
scoring them.

“It’s a different role,” Davis said of playing
defender. “You don’t get the fame and glory you do when
you’re scoring goals, but that’s where my team needs
me, and if that’s where my coach thinks that will help our
team for me to play there, then I have no problem with
it.”

Last season, due to plenty of attacking depth up front and a
need for her skills on the field, coach Jill Ellis moved Davis to
defender. There Davis helped the Bruins reach the NCAA title game
and was a part of perhaps the best defense in school history.

This year, Davis was supposed to have the chance to move back
into an attacking role. Actually, it was Ellis’ intention all
along to find a place in the lineup for Davis to utilize her knack
for scoring goals whether it be as a forward or a midfielder.

“Coming back (after the summer), I said to (Bristyn),
“˜Somehow we have to get you into the attacking
six,'” Ellis said. “I think she was really fired
up about it.”

Circumstances have dictated a different chain of events,
however. Senior stalwart defender Mary Castelanelli injured her
knee against Pepperdine on Sept. 24 leaving the Bruins woefully
inexperienced in the back.

Ellis tried to allow her talented but youthful defenders to
learn on the job, but with three freshmen and one sophomore playing
defender and only one senior in the starting 11, she felt she
needed another experienced veteran out on the field. Enter
Davis.

With the Bruins in a dogfight with the No. 10 Cal Bears just a
week after Castelanelli’s injury, Ellis felt she needed just
a bit more savvy and leadership. Davis was sent in at right
defender and hasn’t left since.

“I’m OK with it,” Davis said of the switch.
“My team has shown a lot of confidence in me back there. They
have told me they feel more comfortable with me back there. That
means a lot to me, and that gives me a lot of confidence playing
that position. I can’t see myself playing someplace else
now.”

After her first two seasons as a Bruin, Davis seemed destined to
become one of UCLA’s brightest attacking stars. In her
freshman season, she ranked fourth on the team in scoring and
played in every game on the way to the Final Four.

The following year, Davis had a truly outstanding sophomore
campaign, ranking second in the Pac-10 in scoring with 14 goals and
six assists.

In both years, she led the conference in shots. She hasn’t
scored a goal since.

“Playing against other forwards, I am a forward so I know
what they’re trying to do, or maybe what they’re
thinking, more than somebody (else),” Davis said. “In
defending (having played other positions) is very helpful because
sometimes I can see what they’re trying to do.”

After her freshman season, Davis’ game faced criticism
with some questioning of whether she had a variety of skills,
instead of just the ability to score. Rather than let that
discourage her, Davis used it as a motivating force and has since
worked on the technical aspects of her game in order to become a
complete player.

“I’ve been working hard these last two years to try
and become a more well-rounded player,” Davis said. “I
think having moved around different positions has caused me to
focus on other things besides scoring. I used to base how well I
played on whether I scored or not.”

With injuries to Castelanelli and sophomore forward Kara Lang,
Davis is the only captain left standing on the field. Even though
she now plays defender, Davis still gets the chance to utilize her
attacking skills, making runs along the line as an outside
defender, a trademark of UCLA teams, just like she did against USC.
As one of only two senior starters, Davis can be a vocal presence
guiding her young teammates toward the only goal she has left: a
national title.

“I’m grateful that I’ve been on a team this
good that I can get there (to the Final Four),” Davis said.
“I want to win one for sure, but I won’t be
disappointed in my teammates. We have a full offensive force on our
team right now. We have a lot of people that can run at you; I
think that’s going to be hard to beat.”

“(Davis) has done very well in any position we’ve
played her,” Ellis said. “I have a lot of respect for
Bristyn for doing anything I’ve asked her to do over her
career. She’s never disappointed. She’s just a great
kid.”

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