Monday, November 16, 1998
BYU ends season for young soccer squad
WRAP: Returning every starter next year, UCLA saddened but
optimistic
By A. CinQue Carter
Daily Bruin Staff
Saturday afternoon at the North Athletic Field the UCLA women’
soccer team twinkled brighter than their opponent Brigham Young
University did. At the same time, however, BYU (20-4-0) out-shined
UCLA (17-4-1).
The Bruins gave their all, but fell 2-0 to the visiting Cougars
in the second round of the NCAA tournament. In the Bruins’
first-ever home-tournament game, they out-shot their guests 17-13
but were unable to convert on numerous scoring attempts
throughout.
"The first 60 minutes we played good soccer," coach Todd
Saldaña said, "and had enough chances to win."
Through the first 76 minutes, actually, the Bruins stayed within
striking distance, trailing only 1-0. In the 23rd minute BYU
midfielder Sarah Higham took a miraculous shot from the right side
of the box that went through the upper-left hand corner of the net.
In fact, if the ball had been an inch or two higher or wider, it
would have deflected off the pole.
"That goal was a career goal," Saldaña said.
Said BYU’s Higham of her surprise goal, "Sometimes you just take
it and it goes in. That time it did."
Conversely, most of UCLA’s shots had chances to go in but could
not penetrate the invisible wall that protected the BYU goal.
"We weren’t following our shots," Bruin leading scorer Staci
Duncan said. "We didn’t capitalize on second chances. You’ve got
those days where they just don’t go in. It’s a disappointment."
Defender Karissa Hampton continued Duncan’s sentiment. "We just
didn’t finish. We weren’t there to put (the ball) in the back of
the net."
Duncan, a freshman, and the sophomore Hampton will have many
more years to turn this "disappointment" around, but seniors Louise
Lieberman, Larisa Kiremidjian and Liz Willemse have danced their
last dances as Bruins.
"It hasn’t completely hit me yet," Lieberman said after the
match. "But it’s a little sad right now."
Lieberman and Kiremidjian have been major contributors to the
Bruins’ back-to-back Pac-10 championships, and major forces in
UCLA’s successful season. And early season success is what enabled
the Bruins to host this game.
On the positive side for the Bruins, though, is the fact that
they return every starter next season
"We’ve achieved a lot of success," Saldaña said. "This team
has huge potential. It was confirmed this year."
This is the case, because as Saldaña said the young Bruins,
while being a "very hard-fighting and opportunistic team," had to
"get comfortable with facing teams that are just here to get the
job done."
"I’d rather have the keeper come out every time," BYU’s Shauna
Rohbock said, referring to the second goal. "I touched it to the
side … and shot it through. She (UCLA goaltender Lindsay Culp)
didn’t have the best angle on my shot.
"After that goal we realized ‘Hey, we can play with these guys.’
We realized that while they were much more physical, we were faster
and could beat them."
The Bruins controlled the ball for most of the game but
relinquished that control following the 2-0 deficit. Little
confirmed that the first goal didn’t change the Bruins’ emotions at
all but the second one was a different story all together.
She felt that the Cougar confidence grew after the second goal
and stated that some of the Bruins started putting their heads down
at that same time.
BYU coach Jennifer Rockwood, in her fourth year at the helm,
believed that the Cougars had gotten lucky in their second-ever
playoff game. She said that the Bruins outplayed them and her team
was "fortunate to come out with the win."
"We fought it out," an elated Rockwood said. "It comes down to
being able to get the ball into the net."
In 20 out of 21 games this season the Bruins had been able to
put the ball in.
But on that day and on that field it was not to be. Therefore,
UCLA will have to wait until next fall for the youth movement to
continue.
"They’re an outstanding team," BYU coach Rockwood said. "They’re
very good and I’m sure they’ll be extremely strong next
year."MICHAEL ROSS WACHT/Daily Bruin
Tracey Milburn attempts to score late in the game against BYU
last Saturday. The kick was off-target and the Bruins went on to
lose the game 2-0.
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