Squad loses to Mustangs in third round of tourney

S. Methodist 1 UCLA 0  

By Jon Corwin
Daily Bruin Contributor

It was tough enough playing the top-ranked team in the country.
But playing them one man down was too much for the UCLA defense to
withstand.

The UCLA (12-7-4) men’s soccer team fell 1-0 to undefeated
Southern Methodist (21-0-0) in the third round of the NCAA
Tournament Saturday night at Westcott Field in Dallas.

Neither team could get on the board until midway though the
second half when the Mustangs caught a break. UCLA junior
midfielder Ryan Futagaki was called for a foul and red carded in
the 72nd minute, leaving the team with only 10 players, in what
ended up being the turning point of the game. Mohamed Fahim of SMU
scored the game’s only goal four minutes later.

The loss ended the season for the Bruins who relied on their
defense throughout the year to keep them in games. Saturday was no
exception.

“Our defense played a very tight game,” sophomore
defender Alex Yi said. “We held our ground very well against
SMU’s forwards for most of the game.”

UCLA was on the defensive the entire contest, as Bruin
goalkeeper Zach Wells was forced to make six saves ““ one
of which came on a penalty kick off the foot of SMU Hermann Trophy
candidate Diego Walsh.

“I was basically reading his stance,” Wells said of
his clutch stop that came with just under 20 minutes to play
in the contest. “He changed his stance just before the kick,
and I guessed where he was going.”

Wells set the UCLA single-season record for saves with 101 on
the year.

The Bruins were forced into a defensive mode after going a man
down and could not muster any offense against SMU goalie Byron
Foss.

“When we were down a man, we were playing in a defensive
shell just hoping for that one opportunity,” junior forward
Tim Pierce said.

That opportunity never came, as the Mustang defense stifled the
offensive attack of UCLA in a game that saw six yellow
cards.

“It took us too long to get going offensively,” UCLA
head coach Todd Saldana said. “I feel like we’ve played
better matches.”

The loss ended a nine-game unbeaten streak for the Bruins, who
finished the year in second place in the Pac-10.