W. soccer’s hopes for playoffs dangle

W. soccer’s hopes for playoffs dangle

By Hye Kwon

The UCLA women’s soccer team enters the most critical part of
its season this weekend as the Bruins face off against Cal State
Fullerton on Friday (3 p.m.) and San Diego State on Sunday ­
two games that will likely determine whether the Bruins will
continue their season in the playoffs or clean out their
lockers.

UCLA has just one home match remaining after this weekend,
against the nationally-ranked Stanford Cardinal. The regular season
will come to an end in the Bay Area against California and
University of San Francisco.

The Bruins (8-3-2 overall) have not played a game since beating
USC nine days ago, triggering worries that the team might come out
flat after the long hiatus. The coaching staff, however, is
confident that is not the case.

Earlier in the season, UCLA defeated Fullerton 3-0 in a
scrimmage match. But the Titans (4-5-2) have improved quite a bit,
defeating Pepperdine, a team the Bruins barely squeaked by in
overtime.

* * *

The San Diego State match on Sunday at the North Soccer Field is
the front end of a double header with the men’s squad, beginning at
11:00a.m..

Last season, midfielder Barbie Gil ­ who is out for the
season this year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury ­
scored two goals as the Bruins went on to defeat the Aztecs
4-1.

"We beat them, but we weren’t expected to," UCLA head coach Joy
Fawcett said. "They’re always tough."

The Aztecs made a coaching change at the beginning of the
season, but Fawcett believes that it will not be a big factor.

* * *

Freshman midfielder Michelle Lieberman, who racked up three
assists against USC last week, made her way into Soccer America’s
"Team of the Week." She is the first Bruin ever to make the
list.