Life’s not fair. Just ask the UCLA women’s soccer
team. Last season, the Bruins lost their third round NCAA
tournament match to Texas A&M despite outshooting the Aggies
21-0. But such is the nature of penalty kicks. Though they totally
outplayed their opponent, the Bruins lost 3-1 in a shootout.
“It was such a heartbreaking ending,” coach Jill Ellis
said. Perhaps more disconcerting is the fact that the Bruins
hadn’t worked on penalty shots in practice prior to the
match. Knowing how last year went, Ellis has already looked to
remedy the problem this season. “We’ve actually been
taking penalty kicks in practice once a week for five or six weeks
now,” she said. “With the playoffs coming up,
we’ll do it a bit more regularly.” The Bruin coach has
had all of her players taking penalty kicks in practice, and she
will name her top seven kickers sometime next week. At that point,
those players will begin taking kicks from the spot every day. Last
year’s loss also taught Ellis something about the nature of
penalty kicks. “I’m still learning as a coach,”
she said. “As a player, I just firmly believed that penalties
were about attitude. You just get up there and stick it. “But
as I get into this position as a coach, I realize that it is a
little bit more about focusing, repetition, feeling comfortable,
and dealing with stress.” In fact, Bruce Hansen, a sports
psychologist, has been assisting the team with the mental side of
the game all season, including its approach to penalty kicks.
“We’re giving attention to every detail, because you
can’t overlook anything when you get to the playoffs,”
Ellis said. “We understand that penalty kicks are a part of
the game, and we have to prepare for that.”
INJURY REPORT: Freshman forward Bristyn Davis is questionable
for Friday’s match at Oregon State after spraining her left
ankle in practice Wednesday. Davis was unable to put weight on the
ankle initially and was carted off the field. It’s the same
ankle she hurt in the preseason. If Davis is unable to play against
the Beavers on Friday, junior Kim Devine will likely start in her
place. “It wasn’t just a tweak,” Ellis said.
“But after practice I talked to Bristyn and she said,
“˜I think I’ll be alright.'” Sophomore Stacy
Lindstrom and freshman Mary Castelanelli also sustained injuries
that could curtail their playing time this weekend. Lindstrom is
still recovering from a high ankle sprain sustained against
Stanford last month. She hasn’t practiced this week, and
won’t play Friday barring another injury in the midfield.
Castelanelli, who has a bulging disk in her back, is also unlikely
to play. She will get her second cortisone injection later this
week and will undergo surgery at the end of the season. Both
Castelanelli and Lindstrom will be available for the postseason,
but neither will be 100-percent healthy.
MORA AWARDS: Sophomore forward Iris Mora was named to Soccer
America’s team of the week for the week of Oct. 27 – Nov. 2.
Mora was also named to the team back on Oct. 15. Mora leads the
Bruins in goals, with nine, and assists, with 12.
With reports from Jeff Eisenberg, Bruin Sports Senior
Staff.