UCLA women’s soccer gets pumped for rivalry game against USC
Senior forward Lauren Cheney dribbled the ball in UCLA’s 2-1 win against USC on Oct. 24, 2008, at the L.A. Coliseum. The Bruins own a 18-3-1 record against the Trojans, but USC beat UCLA in the 2007 College Cup semifinals at College Station, Texas.
By Rebecca Lee
Oct. 28, 2009 11:53 p.m.
Something about a UCLA-USC women’s soccer showdown gets the third-ranked Bruins’ creative juices flowing.
“We’re going to make shirts,” sophomore forward Sydney Leroux said. “We’re kind of having a little contest to see who can make the best shirt for the ‘SC game, and we all have to wear it on Thursday to all our classes, all around campus, everything.”
The Bruins hope that wearing their pieces of art will suffice as mobile billboards to advertise the rivalry match on Friday.
“I think we’re just going to wear T-shirts and word of mouth,” senior forward Lauren Cheney said. “Everyone knows it’s ‘SC weekend; hopefully a lot of people come out to support.”
However, it might be a bit difficult to compete with the turnout at last season’s regular conference game between the two crosstown rivals. On Oct. 24, 2008, the then-undefeated Bruins downed USC 2-1 in front of 7,804 fans at the L.A. Coliseum instead of the Trojans’ usual home at McAllister Field.
“It’s always an emotional game, both teams,” coach Jill Ellis said. “It’s always close, it’s always competitive, it’s always one of our toughest games. They’re a good program, good team. We would have to play very well.”
For senior defender Dea Cook, the USC rivalry has taken some getting used to.
“Coming in, I wasn’t really aware what an intense rivalry it was because I come from Northern California, but it was fun,” Cook said. “It’s kind of fun to hype up those games and to go out there knowing that there’s going to be a lot of people and there’s going to be a lot of excitement.”
Historically, UCLA has dominated the series 18-3-1, but the most recent of those three losses to USC happened to be the most costly. On Dec. 7, 2007, the Trojans defeated the Bruins in the semifinal round of the College Cup at College Station, Texas, eliminating UCLA in the playoffs. USC then blanked Florida State 2-0 to take home the 2007 national championship.
“They beat us when it counted,” Cheney said. “I’ve beat them every single time, except when it counted.”
Since her freshman year, Cheney had enjoyed much success against the Trojans.
She scored the first goal in a 2-1 overtime victory on Oct. 15, 2006, at McAllister Field and contributed a goal and an assist in a 2-0 regular season win on Oct. 26, 2007. Also, Cheney scored the first goal in the College Cup match in 2007.
Senior forward Kristina Larsen has also had her share of solid performances against the Trojans. Last season, Larsen scored two goals in the regular season game at the L.A. Coliseum, including a game-winning header in the 61st minute.
However, Larsen, along with fellow senior defender Lauren Wilmoth, remained suspended, as of Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m waiting for, gathering information and then we’ll make a decision but right now, their status as of now is that they’re still suspended,” Ellis said.
Trick-or-Treating
Tuesday morning, several women’s soccer players sprinted and scrambled around campus. During the first 15 minutes of Tuesday’s practice, Ellis designed a Halloween scavenger hunt for her team.
The Bruins grouped into smaller teams with Halloween-themed names, such as the “Ghost Team” or the “Witch’s Hat Team” and raced through the scavenger hunt, which was based on witty clues written by Ellis. The winning team won a Halloween candy package.
“The scavenger hunt, it’s just a bit of fun,” Ellis said. “But actually it’s disguised fitness because they run pretty hard, and they run all over campus, so they get a good little workout in as well.”
