The Bruins are looking to continue their hot streak as they reach the halfway point of Pac-12 play.
No. 5 UCLA women’s soccer (11-1, 5-0 Pac-12) will take on Utah (5-4-5, 1-2-2) on Friday night at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The Bruins are coming off a weekend in which they outscored Oregon and Oregon State by a combined 10 goals to remain undefeated in conference performances.
“Our team is fun to watch right now, just with the combination play and the willingness to get into the attack,” said coach Margueritte Aozasa. “You’re seeing also just some of our players, their individual quality coming through.”
While the offense has found its stride in recent games, defensive discipline has also been a key focus area for UCLA this season, especially after its lone loss of the season in which it gave up three goals to BYU, said sophomore midfielder Ally Lemos.
Since then, the Bruins have allowed just three goals in their last eight games and forced six shutouts.
Graduate student defender Emily Pringle said the team has gotten into a groove and is improving each game.
“We look really good in our build out and keeping the ball around teams,” Pringle said. “We put a huge emphasis on discipline on defense.”
While such discipline has been a key focus area, Lemos said the coaching staff has encouraged the offense to take advantage of every goal-scoring opportunity it gets.
“Gof (assistant coach Gof Boyoko) says, ‘Eat your dinner offensively,’” Lemos said. “Just finishing our chances because we’re going to get them.”
Friday’s game against Utah also marks the midway point in Pac-12 play, and while the Bruins are taking every game one at a time, they’re still looking toward larger goals.
Last year, the Pac-12 title came down to the last day of the regular season with UCLA’s loss to crosstown rival USC handing the conference crown to Stanford.
For Lemos, a midfielder who has started every game of her freshman and sophomore years thus far and currently leads the Bruins’ field players in minutes, the experience of losing the Pac-12 title last year was a valuable learning experience.
“We’re not this invincible team that nobody can take down,” Lemos said. “There’s so many other good teams. I think just having that and knowing that and experiencing that, only helps us because we’re like, ‘We just have to bring it – our A game – every game because who knows what can happen?’”
So far, the Bruins hold a clean conference record, but their final games of the season against No. 2 Stanford and No. 13 USC will certainly test UCLA.
Last year, the Cardinal and Trojans handed the Bruins their only losses of the season.
“I’m excited because the last couple of games, I think they’re going to feel like playoff games, which is great preparation for postseason,” Aozasa said.
But before then, UCLA will first kick off Friday against Utah at 6 p.m. at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
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