Monday, November 2, 1998
UCLA comeback unable
to prevent loss at USC
WRAP: Trailing 4-1 in second half, Bruins tie game before losing
5-4
By A. CinQue Carter
Daily Bruin Contributor
In a game regarded by many witnesses as "the greatest college
soccer game (they had) ever seen," the UCLA women fell victim to
the USC Trojans 5-4 on Sunday in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
in front of a USC-record crowd of 1,057.
In the fourth and 29th minutes of the first half, junior Kim
Clark scored goals to give USC a 2-0 halftime lead.
The Bruins did have their chances but just could not
convert.
The second half, however, would be a different story
altogether.
The Trojans would add another goal early in the second half for
a 3-0 lead, but the Bruins were a totally different team after the
intermission.
"We just came out stronger in the second half," Lieberman said.
"We figured to win we had to come out stronger.
"We showed a lot of heart in the second half."
Speaking of heart, forward Staci Duncan was held out of the
starting lineup due to a bruised quadricep. As recently as
Saturday, Duncan was on crutches, but would not be denied a chance
to bring the Bruins back into the game.
"I’d like to give special credit to Staci, playing with her
(injury)," UCLA head coach Todd Saldaña said. "She showed a
ton of heart."
Duncan’s teammates tried to keep her effort from going for
naught by scoring four of the next five goals to deadlock the game
at four goals apiece in the 87th minute.
Defender Karissa Hampton created her own shot in the 58th
minute, scoring a goal in the left corner of the net, just out of
the reach of Trojan keeper Karin Puccinelli.
Just less then three minutes later, sophomore Tracey Milburn
dribbled the ball up the field on the right side and crossed it to
sophomore Venus James, who netted the shot past the out of position
Puccinelli.
In the 72nd minute, Clark earned her fifth point of the game on
an assist to Isabelle Harvey, giving the Trojans a 4-2
advantage.
Then in the 80th minute, James retrieved a Bethany Bogart free
kick and knocked it in the net to cut deficit to 4-3.
Seven minutes later, Duncan stole the ball from a Trojan
midfielder and turned toward the goal. With James on one side and
Milburn on the other side of her, Duncan sped toward the net.
Duncan then tapped the ball to Milburn, who scored to tie the game
4-4.
The Trojans, nonetheless, managed to seal the victory in the
89th minute on a Courtney Barham goal.
"The exciting thing about this game is that no one should leave
feeling that they didn’t get their money’s worth," Saldaña
said. "Had we given half the effort in the first half that we gave
in the second, there would definitely have been a different
result."
Comments, feedback, problems?
© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]