Friday, November 6, 1998
UCLA’s next game may determine home-field advantage
PREVIEW: No. 1 Bruins take aim at playoffs, focus on two weekend
matches
By Moin Salahuddin
Daily Bruin Contributor
Coming off a victory over the top-ranked team in the nation
might leave some teams vulnerable.
However, the UCLA men’s soccer team is hoping not to have a
let-down this weekend versus formidable competition in Mountain
Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) action.
The top-ranked Bruins (13-2, 5-0) will go on the road to take on
the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos tonight at 7 p.m. UCLA will then
travel on Sunday to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to face the Mustangs
at 6 p.m.
"This is a big weekend for us," head coach Sigi Schmid said. "We
want to win our league and we want the No. 1 seed. We want to be at
home during the playoffs, so these next four games are vital for
us. But we can’t even think about the last weekend without thinking
about this one first."
The Gauchos (2-15, 0-6) have struggled all season long.
Offensively, UCSB is lethargic, having scored only 21 goals this
season. Leading the Gauchos is Aron Wellman with five goals. On
defense, the Gauchos are erratic, allowing as few as one goal or as
many as nine. UCSB has allowed 49 goals this season, nearly three
goals per game.
"Santa Barbara is not having a good season," Schmid said. "But
they are going to make it difficult. They lost only 2-0 to
Stanford."
UCLA leads the overall series 25-2 and won last year’s contest
6-1. In that contest, junior forward Martin Bruno came off the
bench to score four second-half goals.
The Bruins’ next opponent will be the Mustangs (9-5-2, 4-2). Cal
Poly San Luis Obispo has excelled this season, defeating the likes
of Loyola Marymount, California and Stanford. The offense is led by
junior Brian Lange, who has scored six goals this season. On
defense, the Mustangs are led by freshman goalkeeper Brenton Lunge,
who boasts a goals against average of 1.69.
"Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very, very difficult game just
because they play on a small field," Schmid said. "It’s probably
the worst field in the conference. It’s small, it’s bumpy, and it
turns into the kind of game which is not so much about soccer but
it’s about effort."
Offensively, the Bruins are led by player of the year candidate
Seth George. George has 12 goals, six of which are game-winning,
and seven assists for 31 points this season. Junior Sasha Victorine
has also contributed seven assists while McKinley Tennyson, Jr.
looks to be a big influence after returning from his leg
injury.
The UCLA defensive juggernaut is led by sophomore goalkeeper
Nick Rimando. Rimando has been unstoppable, allowing only a fluke
goal against Indiana in their last match. According to Schmid, Ryan
Lee and Brandon Kay have also been doing well.
"I think we’ve set our starting line-up," Schmid said. "Sean
Walker is starting because he gives us a lot of energy up front.
Lee and Kay did great against Indiana, too."
If the Bruins can utilize their many offensive weapons well, the
Gauchos and Mustangs will have to settle for a loss against the top
team in the nation.
Comments, feedback, problems?
© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]