A cold drizzle fell steadily Wednesday on the North Athletic Field, where the UCLA women’s soccer team practices early weekday mornings. When practice ended early after an intense session, the players grabbed their muddy cleats and damp backpacks as they hurried off the soaking field.
With the Bruins opening conference play against No. 16 Cal (5-1-4) and No. 1 Stanford (9-0-2)this weekend at Drake Stadium, there was no way a little rain was going to prevent the team from practicing. After a disappointing 1-0 loss against Pepperdine on Oct. 1, UCLA is looking to come out strong in its first two Pac-10 games of the season.
“We are motivated and the players are excited,” coach Jillian Ellis said. “Pepperdine was a letdown, but it’s a lesson for the team that you have got to show up every single minute of every game. I know that they will be ready and excited to play Friday night.”
Cal suffered its first loss of the season Sept. 23 against No. 3 Portland, giving up three second-half goals to the Pilots. The Golden Bears also gave up two late goals to St. Mary’s last weekend in a double-overtime 2-2 tie. Despite Cal’s recent defensive woes, Ellis refused to overlook tonight’s game in favor of Sunday’s match against Stanford.
“Both teams are excellent,” she said. “The thing about our conference is that there is not a team that you can look past. These games are really important for us to gauge where we stand in the conference. It’s going to be a good weekend of soccer.”
When top-ranked Stanford takes the field, it will mark the first time that UCLA has ever hosted a No. 1 team at Drake Stadium.
The Cardinal is currently undefeated, winning 2-0 against Santa Clara last Sunday to extend its winning streak to nine, and will face No. 20 USC today before arriving in Westwood.
Offensively, Stanford has surged past the Bruins this season, scoring 34 total goals compared to UCLA’s 22.
Led by senior forward Christen Press’ 14 goals, the Cardinal has out-scored its opponents by 25 goals. On the defensive front, UCLA has proved itself equal to the best team in the nation, letting in only eight goals in 11 games.
Sunday is the first time that the two teams will meet since last year’s NCAA Women’s College Cup semifinals, where the Cardinal narrowly defeated the Bruins 2-1 in overtime.
Despite the fierce competition between the two teams, senior midfielder Kylie Wright won’t be approaching this game any differently.
“We are going to prepare for them like we would any other team,” she said.
“They have got an awesome attack and a great midfield. It’s a really tough team, so we have to prepare mentally and physically to be ready for a battle.”
The loss to Pepperdine raises questions about the Bruins’ ability to play against teams in the 4-3-3 formation.
With Stanford using the same layout as the Waves, Ellis believes that the Bruins must maintain ball possession to successfully defend against the Cardinal’s three-forward frontline.
“It’s really about how the team plays out of our shape (4-2-2),” she said. “The bottom line is that if we can keep the ball, it doesn’t matter what the other team’s system is. We have got to be able to connect passes.”
For junior forward Sydney Leroux, the easiest way for UCLA to win this weekend is straightforward.
“We just need to execute the ball and play simple,” Leroux said. “The important thing is not just playing, but thinking the game as well. We will do well if we do what we are good at: playing good soccer.”