UCLA goalie named Player of the Week
UCLA junior keeper Zach Wells was named the Pac-10 Men’s
Soccer Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 29. Wells made a
school record 11 saves in the Bruins’ Friday game at Oregon
State and fought off the Beaver offense, which racked up 25 shots,
16 of which were in the second half.
Wells also had UCLA’s first assist by a goalie since the
2000 season, off of which junior Cliff McKinley scored. He rounded
out the weekend with another shutout and four saves off of eight
attempts by the Washington offense.
This is the second time this season that he has won this
award.
Huskies, Beavers come to UCLA
Both Washington and Oregon State travel to Drake Stadium this
weekend, no doubt hoping to avenge last weekend’s losses to
the Bruins.
The Bruins beat the Beavers, 3-0 on Friday and the Huskies,
1-0 on Sunday.
“These games were huge for our defense,” Wells said.
“We haven’t won either away game since I’ve been
here, and we really played the whole 90 minutes. The assist felt
amazing, but Cliff (McKinley) made the rest happen.”
UCLA will play Washington Friday at 2 p.m. and Oregon State on
Sunday at 11 a.m.
Mehring nets game-winner
Freshman midfielder Luke Mehring also had a memorable weekend,
scoring his first collegiate game-winning goal. This marked the
first time UCLA has beaten Washington in Seattle in 22 years.
“I felt pretty good,” Mehring said. “It was my
first game-winner, and over Washington, it was perfect. We
haven’t beat them in a long time. As a freshman, it was great
to do that.”
Injury updates
Freshman defender Jordan Harvey injured his ankle against Oregon
State, according to UCLA head coach Tom Fitzgerald.
“He leaves for Under-20 National Team duty on
Sunday,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re trying to get
him healthy for our games but also for his qualifying national
games.”
Wells, who had been out of action due to a lower abdominal
injury, says he is “98 percent recovered.”
Junior midfielder Dru Hoshimiya, who has sat out for seven
months with a similar lower ab injury, started playing again last
Friday against Oregon State and made an assist on senior forward
Tim Pierce’s goal.
“It felt good to play,” Hoshimiya said. “The
assist was secondary. I’ve been missing playing a
lot.”
Notes compiled by Elizabeth Newman, Daily Bruin Contributor.