Bruins take MPSF title after drenching Bears
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 17, 1996 9:00 p.m.
Monday, November 18, 1996
MEN’S SOCCER:
Rain helps defense blank Cal as freshmen Travis, Bruno and
Vagenas score goalsBy Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Contributor
In the pouring rain at Berkeley, the UCLA men’s soccer team
repeated as MPSF champions with a 4-0 annihilation of Cal at last
night’s title game.
"We pulled together to get what we wanted," striker Nick
Thesloff said. "We played hard. We wanted to be champions. Today we
played together as a team and stepped up a level."
The victory provides UCLA with an automatic bid into the NCAA
tournament while Cal is now on the bubble. This was Cal’s
fourth-straight loss, leaving the Bears’ Cinderella season in a
very precarious position.
UCLA (16-3) is now ranked No. 3 in the nation, and after a slow
start the team has put together a winning streak which will provide
a great deal of momentum for the upcoming tournament.
Coach Sigi Schmid feels that the team is coming together and
that they are doing everything that is necessary to be
champions.
"It didn’t always look pretty, but we did what we had to do,"
Schmid said.
Kevin Hartman, UCLA’s senior goalie, recorded yet another
shutout for the team this season, lowering the the team’s meager .5
goals-against average even further.
Both Theslof and Schmid feel that UCLA’s shutout of Cal had
something to do with the bad weather conditions at Cal.
"The rain added a defensive aspect throughout game," Theslof
said. "It was a very good win for us, especially since we don’t get
an opportunity to play in the rain. It gives us good confidence to
play in bad conditions and be successful.
UCLA took the lead in the first half on a gritty assist by Tom
Poltl. Poltl was fouled and both players fell down. But Poltl got
up before his attacker and quickly took the indirect penalty kick,
providing the assist on a Shea Travis goal.
The Bruins’ three second-half goals were all scored by freshmen.
Shea Travis, Martin Bruno and Pete Vagenas each found the back of
the net in the second half.
JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin
Senior Tahj Jakins eyes the ball against Cal State
Fullerton.
