Daily Bruin File Photo Breana Boling
brings the ball upfield in a game against Oregon this year. UCLA
faces Washington State today and Washington on Sunday.
By Jeff Agase
Daily Bruin Contributor
As the UCLA women’s soccer team prepares for a road trip
to face Washington State and No. 3 Washington, a cursory glance
over the Pac-10 team statistics appears to point out a clear
conference leader.
The No. 7 Bruins (11-1-1, 2-0-1 Pac-10) rank first in the
conference in shots (21.85 per game), points (9.62 per game), goals
(3.62 per game), and goals allowed (0.21 per game) The team is
unbeaten in its last 12 games.
Defensively, the team as a whole also ranks first, and the
Bruins lead the Pac-10 in nearly every offensive statistical
category, even corner kicks (8.38 per game, to be exact), but are
still displaced from the top spot in the conference by Washington,
which ranks second behind UCLA in nearly all of those
categories.
It has been a landmark season for the Huskies (13-1-0, 4-0-0
Pac-10). They are riding a school record seven-game winning streak
and their 13 wins already tie the school record for victories in a
season.
“We’re in first place by ourselves, that puts a
bull’s-eye on our backs,” head coach Lesle Gallimore
said in a statement. “Our only goal this season was to finish
in the top three in the Pac-10 and that would guarantee a spot in
the NCAA Tournament.
“Our goals have shifted. Now we’re looking to vie
for the top spot.”
At No. 3, Washington is the highest-ranked opponent UCLA will
have faced, but Bruin assistant coach Lisa Shattuck said the parity
of the Pac-10 means every team is dangerous. “I don’t
know if it will be our biggest test,” she said. “Every
game we have to approach equally. Every game in the Pac-10 is going
to be a challenge to us.”
As the underdogs, the Bruins seem to relish a role they are
unaccustomed to playing.
“I think we’re all focused,” junior Stephanie
Rigamat said. “We kind of see ourselves as the underdog in
taking the game over, and I think we’re in a better
position.”
On Friday, UCLA takes on Washington State, which is a surprising
10-4-0 overall and 2-2-0 in the Pac-10. Last weekend, they upset
then-No. 18 Arizona State 2-0.
“The theme continues to be, “˜Can we play better, can
we play at a higher level?'” head coach Dan Tobias said
in a statement. “And the answer’s typically been
yes.”
The Bruins aren’t looking past the Cougars.
“I think our biggest test is when we play a team that is
ranked lower than us ““ playing at our level of soccer and not
playing down to them,” Karissa Hampton said.
Shattuck hopes her team can continue to capitalize on
opportunities, something it was unable to do in the tie with USC.
The Bruins must leave the Great Northwest with two wins this
weekend to contend for the Pac-10 title.
“Washington has been doing really well,” she said.
“Of course we’re serious about that game. We just have
to look at it as a Pac-10 game and a must-win game.”