For the UCLA men’s soccer team, being ousted in the 2009 NCAA quarterfinals by Wake Forest had more than a couple repercussions. Sure, another early exit from the tournament left a bitter taste in their mouths, and it certainly wasn’t the most picturesque way to finish the season.
But, most of all, it left a dark cloud of uncertainty over the 2010 season. Eight seniors graduated, and four were MLS draft picks.
Gone are two NSCAA All-Americans in midfielder Kyle Nakazawa, who led the Pac-10 in points (31), and Brian Perk, who led the Pac-10 in goals against average (.87).
Forward David Estrada went to the Seattle Sounders FC with the 11th overall pick, while Michael Stephens went to the Los Angeles Galaxy as the 16th pick.
The No. 1 recruit of 2009, Amobi Okugo, also made an early exit: The 2009 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year has already made his debut in the MLS as a 19-year-old.
Luis Serrano, Danny Suits, Sean Alvarado, Andrew Sinderhoff and Christian Vazquez have all moved on. UCLA led all schools with five draft picks, and it’s not hard to imagine that this year’s Bruins may struggle with depth issues at times.
Even so, the two-time defending Pac-10 champions have been selected as the preseason favorite to win the Pac-10 again this year ““ and it wasn’t close, as UCLA received five first-place votes.
This season’s potential success may seemingly come down to the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation according to College Soccer News, but the Bruins return some key components.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Brian Rowe, who has already logged two shutouts in the first four games this season, was undefeated in six appearances last year while Perk was playing for the U-20 U.S. National Team in Egypt.
Aggressive junior forward Eder Arreola will press opposing defenses. Sophomore midfielder Ryan Hollingshead has already found the back of the net twice, while fellow midfielders Michael Roman and Evan Raynr will also compete for time. Sophomore forward Dakota Collins figures to be in the mix as well. Junior defender Shawn Singh has remained a stable contributor on the back four.
For a team with only one true senior, younger athletes will have to step into the leadership role, captain the team and direct the freshmen.
For coach Jorge Salcedo, junior midfielder Andy Rose will be an important team leader: He has already taken charge, organizing captain practices, and helping players prepare themselves.
“He is our captain, without a doubt,” Salcedo said. “We look to his leadership.”
Despite this, the first weekend of play still revealed areas needed for improvement, and even the captain wasn’t completely free of critics.
“(Rose) needs to sharpen some things up and make (them) better as well,” Salcedo said. “But I think we are going to be a much better team than we are now. Every year, it’s a process, and there’s (no way) around that. We are such a young team, and we are trying to figure out which player should go in which spot. I guarantee we will be a much better team than we are now.”
Coming back from an injury-riddled sophomore season, Rose is determined to make an even more significant impact.
“Personally, last season was a little disappointing compared to my freshman year,” Rose said. “I was stuck with a foot injury for about five weeks at the beginning of the season, which wasn’t the best start. But I think I came back strong from it and thought I had a decent end to the season. … I think we can further our success in this upcoming season.”
With a weekend sweep of UC Riverside and Davidson, that guarantee is moving closer to validation.