NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Lindsay Greco
confronts a defender during a recent match against Vanderbilt
University.
By Jeff Agase
Daily Bruin Contributor
When asked to describe in just one word her team’s feeling
after starting the season with seven consecutive road games, UCLA
women’s soccer player Karissa Hampton answered without
hesitation.
“Consistent,” she said.
The senior defender couldn’t have pegged the feeling any
better. The No. 5 Bruins (6-1 overall, 0-0 Pac-10) are riding high,
owners of a six-game winning streak and their highest ranking in
school history.
And with their first home game of the season tonight against
Fresno State (7-3) at 7:30 under the lights of Spaulding Field,
they have added incentive to continue playing like one of the elite
women’s soccer programs in the country.
“We’re totally psyched that we have a night game on
Spaulding,” Hampton said. “It is going to add so much
adrenaline to all of us to play in front of our home
crowd.”
Coming home never felt better. The Bruins have been unbeaten at
home for nearly two years, with their last loss in Westwood on Nov.
14, 1998, at the hands of BYU in an NCAA Tournament second-round
match.
The Bruins wrapped up their seven-game road sojourn on Sept. 24
with a 3-0 win over the University of San Diego that featured a
near record-setting pouncing by the UCLA offense.
Junior forward Stephanie Rigamat took the opening kickoff and
stormed down the field in just 11 seconds to score the
fifth-fastest goal in NCAA history.
Senior forward Tracey Milburn added two goals, and the Bruins
had their fourth consecutive shutout.
Assistant coach Lisa Shattuck said that the team accomplished
one of its main goals before the Toreros could even blink.
“One of our goals for the game was to score early,”
Shattuck said. “I think 11 seconds is pretty
early.”
USD mustered only five shots in 90 minutes, but Bruin goalkeeper
CiCi Peterson had to endure more than just the Torero offense en
route to her fourth straight shutout.
“They have this band. They’re kind of
obnoxious,” Peterson said of the mischievous musicians
taunting her throughout the game. “It actually made me play
better. It was kind of funny because they were losing.”
With a blanking of the Bulldogs tonight, Peterson can own the
UCLA record for consecutive shutouts with five. At four, she
currently shares the mark with Gretchen Overgaard and Lindsay
Culp.
The Bruins, who boast an all-time mark of 4-0 against Loyola
Marymount (6-2-1), will head across town to take on the Lions at
Sullivan Field on Sunday.
Shattuck emphasized the importance of consistent play from her
team rather than playing in response to the competition.
“We approach every game the same as far as that we have to
win,” Shattuck said. “I don’t think we’re
going to change anything. I think that our formation that
we’re using and the players we are using are playing well,
and I don’t think there’s any reason to change
anything.”
Change can be good, but an eight-game winning streak would be
even better.