Tuesday, February 25, 1997
CLUB:
Bruins hold on to first place in league with steady defense,
aggressive scoringBy Rocky Salmon
Daily Bruin Contributor
Domination.
One word has summed up the UCLA men’s lacrosse team’s season so
far, as the Bruins have opened up league play with a 5-0 record. In
the five wins, the club has outscored its opponents 84-32, while
defeating three teams ranked in the top 10.
Included among the undefeated start was a 14-8 victory over
Claremont on Saturday.
Entering Saturday’s contest, the Bruins were led by a strong
attack, anchored by Robert Gamble, who led the team in points with
17 goals and 14 assists.
Making a surprising contribution to the team has been freshman
players, Matt Hill and Paul Eugenio  combining for 32 goals
and 47 assists.
Stabilizing the attack has been the steady play of the defense,
led by captain Jeff Rieger. The Bruins have held four out of their
five opponents under 10 points.
Against Claremont, the Bruins were aiming to stay tied atop the
Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (WCLL).
Although heavily favored, the Bruins only emerged from the first
half with a 7-6 lead.
"The first half we did not come out strong," midfielder Robert
Hogg said. "It took until the third quarter to open up the
game."
The Bruins dominated the second half. UCLA scored four quick
goals in the third period and three more in the fourth, while
holding Claremont to only two late goals.
As the game neared the end, the Bruins were forced to play a man
down, which gave Claremont a perfect chance to get back into the
game. However, behind the strong goalkeeping of Pete Abbott (15
saves), UCLA was never in danger.
"We had a man down the last couple of minutes of the quarter,"
senior Randy Josselyn said. "Our team just stepped up and shut them
down."
The offense was led by the strong performances of Gamble (5
assists), Matt Hill (6 goals), and midfielder Rocky Choi (3
goals).
Next Saturday the club will face top-ranked Whittier at UCLA,
and this time the Bruins won’t be able to start out slow.
"Whittier is a perennial favorite," assistant coach Paul-Wayne
Mahlow said. "The next game will be a huge test of our
character."
Playing against a program that is fully funded and actively
recruiting, the Bruins are hoping to pull off an upset and remain
in first place.