Ranked No. 1 in the country and on a quest to win its second
consecutive national championship, the UCLA men’s soccer team
clearly has a powerful offense. Just ask the 20 teams who have
fallen to the Bruins this season.
But sophomore Evan Corey? The UCLA reserve forward was most
likely not a player the Florida International University team spent
much time worrying about in preparation for its third-round game of
the NCAA tournament against the Bruins on Sunday.
Maybe it should have.
Coming into the game, Corey had yet to score in his two years at
UCLA. In yesterday’s second half, however, he netted not one
but two goals in a 2-0 UCLA victory over the Golden Panthers.
“At halftime I was put in and I was told to go after the
defenders. I knew I was better than them and I was faster than
them,” Corey said. “This is probably the best time to
score two goals in my college career. I’m really really
excited.”
In the first minute back from the half, Corey took a
down-the-line pass from senior midfielder Adolfo Gregorio, and
crossed to the far post for the goal. Elated, he ran to the Bruin
bench where he was mobbed by almost the entire squad. But his day
wasn’t over yet.
With a little over five minutes left in the game, Corey took a
pass from senior forward Matt Taylor just outside the penalty box
and shot what would be his second goal of the day. But this one
didn’t go down without a fight.
FIU senior keeper Roy Rosenberg stormed all the way over to the
referee on the midfield sideline, adamant that Corey was
offsides.
Teary and red-eyed after the game, Rosenberg maintained that
Corey’s goal should not have counted.
“The first goal was a really good shot,” he said.
“But the second goal was offsides five yards. There was no
question it was offsides.”
Rosenberg’s bitterness no doubt stemmed from the fact that
this game was one FIU (14-5-3) could have snatched away from UCLA
(20-1-1). Even after Corey’s first goal, the Golden
Panthers’ defense created a barrier the Bruins had difficulty
penetrating all afternoon.
In addition, FIU ended the game with 10 shots, two more than the
Bruins. Both teams played very up-tempo, physical soccer. Bruin
senior forward Cliff McKinley received a yellow card in the first
half and the game ended with a total of 21 fouls.
“It seems like they were defending us, not the other way
around,” FIU coach Karl Kremser said. “We were okay
getting into the penalty area but that was where it didn’t
click.”
“We couldn’t make a shot,” he added.
Junior midfielder Aaron Lopez was injured in the eighth minute
of play and has “opened up his MCL,” according to
Fitzgerald.
Senior defender Dru Hoshimiya injured his left knee in the
second half, but his current status is unknown.
This win advances the Bruins to a quarterfinal contest against
Indiana which will be held at Drake Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 5, at
7 p.m.