Breaking on through

Breaking on through

Two years ago, Joe Christie was questionable ­ this year he
has become crucial for the Bruins

By Tim Costner

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

It’s hard to believe that Joe Christie almost vanished from the
UCLA roster after one year with the men’s soccer team.

Then again, his first year with the Bruins didn’t exactly go as
he had hoped, and as a walk-on, Christie’s stint with the team
appeared as though it was going to be rather brief.

But he managed to remain on the team another year, and UCLA head
coach Sigi Schmid gave him a second chance to prove himself.

"My first year I had a nightmare," said Christie, who redshirted
in 1992. "I wasn’t playing confidently, and when the next

year came, I just wasn’t getting any playing time. So I pulled
Sigi aside and said, ‘Hey, Sig, do you think I can contribute to
the team or what?’ Basically play me or I’m out."

Schmid ultimately allotted Christie more playing time that year,
and Christie emerged as one of the surprise players of the season
­ earning a share of the Bruins’ Most Improved Player Award in
1993.

And this year, Christie has made even greater strides, earning a
starting role at the right wing and leading the team with seven
assists, including three in the last three games.

"I’ve been getting a fair amount of assists lately, but I pay
zero attention to stats," admitted Christie. "I’m glad I’m leading,
I look to get assists because I’m just as happy when I cross the
ball over as when I score a goal. It’s all cool."

But it almost never happened, since Christie was prepared to
leave soccer behind after high school, and attend Cal after
graduation.

"I wasn’t even sure that I was going to play soccer after high
school," Christie said. "I was going to Berkeley, but then I
started getting recruited for soccer. I wasn’t even looking to get
recruited, but then I remember the day Sig called. It was at the
time when I thought he was some mystic figure and some god of
soccer. I was just trying to be cool on the phone."

That phone call eventually led to Christie’s arrival in
Westwood, and from that point, the 5-foot-11 -inch native of
Mission Viejo has battled for his position on the team.

"I remember coming in and guys like Eddie Lewis and Ante Razov
were the players ­ like wow these guys are good," Christie
said. "I never played for a good club team and my high school team
was never that good. Luckily, they’re my friends now and we just
play soccer together."

And that’s all because Christie has dramatically improved his
ability to create scoring opportunities from the right side.

"The one quality that he’s really developed is the ability to
cross the ball," Schmid said. "He’s the best crosser on the team
now. He has the ability that a lot of players don’t have, where he
can get crosses over with a bend when the ball is to the outside of
his body. It’s something that comes natural to him, and it’s
something that he’s worked on because he realizes that it sets him
apart."

Like many of his teammates, Christie has been shuffled around in
the lineup this season, but has recently become a fixture on the
right wing.

"I like it a lot on the right," Christie said. "I feel the most
comfortable there. Sometimes I don’t get the ball as much as I’d
like, but I think every player thinks like that. When I get the
ball I know my role ­ I’m just a role player out there. I
think people are starting to learn what I do and what they can do,
so we can help each other out."

And for Christie, that means just to continue doing what has
brought him this far.

"Generally I think my role is to simply be the guy down the line
who can get the ball across to the forwards," Christie said. "I’ve
changed my game a little bit, so we’ve figured out how to get the
ball to the forwards ­ the more they get it the better. I
think we’ve done a good job with that so far."