Twice the UCLA men’s soccer team thought it had punched its ticket to the NCAA College Cup championship game with goals in its semifinal game, and twice it was wrong.
In the semifinals of the College Cup in Alabama, No. 13-seeded UCLA squared off against top-ranked North Carolina with each team scoring twice before the end of regulation. Each time, the Bruins had inched in front with a goal only to surrender an equalizer ““ the Tar Heels’ second goal coming in the 85th minute off of a rebound.
After two overtime periods produced no goals, the game went to penalty kicks where UCLA could not overcome two early misses and were eliminated from the tournament in agonizing fashion, losing 1-3 on PKs.
And the losses didn’t stop there for the Bruins.
Six players were drafted in the 2012 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, including two first-rounders, then-sophomore midfielder Kelyn Rowe and then-junior forward Chandler Hoffman.
Two months later, assistant coach Kenny Arena, son of current Los Angeles Galaxy coach/manager Bruce Arena, left after four seasons at UCLA to take the head coaching position at Florida International University.
UCLA hired former George Mason assistant coach Nick Carlin-Voigt to the staff for next season. The team will likely have a harder time trying to fill the void left by Hoffman, Kelyn Rowe and goalkeeper Brian Rowe, all drafted and all named to the Soccer America All-America team last year.
While the Bruins suffered big losses with the departure of key players to the MLS, a deep squad provides hope for the future.
One of the keys to success last year for UCLA (18-4-2, 10-0 Pac-12) was the depth of coach Jorge Salcedo’s squad. In all, 20 players played in at least five games or more last year and of those players, 13 are returning for the 2012 season.
Rising seniors midfielder/forward Ryan Hollingshead and defender Matt Wiet both return after earning Pac-12 second-team all-conference honors last season. Hollingshead was tied for fourth on the team with three goals scored and tied for third with seven assists.
Rising junior forward Victor Chavez is the leading returner in goals scored from last year, tallying four, including three in the team’s final six games.
The Bruins finished last season strong defensively, shutting out eight of their last nine opponents, and Salcedo earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year. In addition to Wiet, rising junior defender Joe Sofia returns for the Bruins’ backline.
Sofia, Chavez, rising junior midfielder Victor Munoz and rising senior forward/midfielder Evan Raynr all return after earning all-conference honorable mentions. Munoz, a transfer from New York’s Iona College by way of Madrid, Spain, had strong performances as a substitute last season. In 22 games, with just one start, Munoz finished second on the team with eight assists.
With the returning talent that gained experience last season and a 2012 recruiting class that includes five players ranked in the Top Drawer Soccer National Top 100 recruit list, Salcedo should have plenty to work with this upcoming season.
Compiled by Tyler Drohan, Bruin Sports senior staff.