Midfielder’s bone injury dampens soccer victory

Midfielder’s bone injury dampens soccer victory

Bruins’ 4-0 victory over SDSU Aztecs earns MPSF title; Lewis’
recovery key

By Tim Costner

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

The UCLA men’s soccer team won the MPSF Pacific Division title
this weekend, but may have lost a key player for next week’s match
against No. 1 Indiana.

Bruin midfielder Eddie Lewis ­ who collided heads with a
Titan defender ­ suffered a fractured cheek bone just below
his right eye in Friday’s 2-1 victory over Cal State Fullerton.

Lewis is currently the second leading scorer for No. 6 UCLA
(14-1 overall, 6-1 in conference), and his return to the lineup
will be decided on a week-to-week basis.

"It doesn’t seem like it’s going to need surgery," UCLA head
coach Sigi Schmid said. "I don’t know how soon he can come back,
after they do the CAT scan is really the key. Then it’s up to the
doctors and when he feels that he can play."

Whether or not Lewis can wear a protective mask during the game
under NCAA regulations has yet to be determined.

Before Lewis left the game, the Bruins tallied two early goals
against the Titans, the first in the fifth minute by midfielder
Justin Selander, who headed in a cross on a free kick by Joe
Christie.

UCLA scored its second goal just four minutes later, ironically
by Lewis, who hit a hard, low shot to the far post to put the
Bruins up 2-0. Frankie Hejduk assisted on the play.

The Titans brought the game within one goal in the 85th minute
when Fullerton’s Eddie Soto nailed a penalty kick after UCLA’s Tahj
Jakins was called for a handball in the penalty box.

* * *

In Sunday’s game against SDSU, the Bruins prevailed, 4-0, after
tallying three goals in the first half.

UCLA forward Ante Razov gave the Bruins their first two goals of
the game, the first coming in the 17th minute after Bruin
midfielder Josh Keller took a shot on goal that was parried by the
Aztec keeper.

Razov fielded the rebounded ball just a few feet from the goal,
and buried a point-blank shot to give UCLA the lead.

Then, in the 29th minute, Razov and the Bruins scored again,
this time on a nice lob from 14 yards out that sailed over the
Aztec keeper’s reach and into the goal. Selander assisted on the
goal.

"I was on the on the left and saw Justin with the ball," Razov
said. "I made diagonal run and he played it through nicely. The
goalie was off of his line a couple yards, and I thought I could
catch him."

In the 34th minute, UCLA forward Robbie Labelle gave the Bruins
their third goal, finishing a cross by Christie at close range to
give the Bruins a comfortable halftime lead.

The Bruins added another goal for good measure in the 85th
minute, when LaBelle ­ seeing that the Aztec keeper was way
out of position ­ assisted midfielder Josh Keller on an easy
goal.