Women’s soccer aims for final conference home win
Senior forward Lauren Cheney and the women’s soccer team will face rival USC Friday at Drake Stadium.
By Rebecca Lee
Oct. 30, 2009 2:39 a.m.
The UCLA women’s soccer team has one more opponent to play at home before finishing Pac-10 play in Washington next week: USC.
“It’s always a good rivalry, it’s always a good game,” coach Jill Ellis said. “The Lexus points are on the line. The consequences of the Pac-10 and all that. It’s always been traditionally a very competitive match.”
The third-ranked Bruins (14-2-1, Pac-10 5-1) host the No. 18 Women of Troy (12-5, 4-2 Pac-10) tonight at Drake Stadium in a clash between crosstown rivals in traditionally one of the most exciting soccer matches in Southern California and in the greater L.A. community.
“It’s the local derby,” Ellis said. “It’s the local game. We always get good atmosphere ““ we’re hoping a lot of people show up in blue and cheer us on.”
Despite having a slightly worse record than the Bruins, the Women of Troy still pose tough opponents. UCLA will have to work harder to find the back of the net tonight as USC’s senior goalkeeper Kristin Olsen leads the conference in shutouts with seven and in saves with 80. The Pac-10 nominated Olsen as Pac-10 Player of the Week two weeks in a row in September this season.
Last season, close to 8,000 fans attended the UCLA-USC Pac-10 showdown at the L.A. Coliseum, in which the Bruins came out on top 2-1 off two goals from senior forward Kristina Larsen. The Bruins beat the Women of Troy 1-0 again last season at home in the NCAA round of 16, also on a Larsen goal.
The Bruins own an 18-3-1 all-time record against the Women of Troy, but USC beat UCLA in the 2007 College Cup semifinals en route to a national championship.
“They beat us when it counted,” senior forward Lauren Cheney said. “I’ve beat them every single time, except when it counted. So every year, it’s a rivalry, it’s a huge game, and it’s fun. It’s exciting to play in.”
This particular match will be special for Cheney because UCLA will be honoring its seniors, who will be playing in their final conference home match of their UCLA careers. The seniors that will be honored include Cheney, defender Dea Cook, forward Kara Lang, Larsen and defender Lauren Wilmoth.
“Awesome, I really couldn’t imagine being anywhere else, I know that sounds cliche, but it’s so true and I think just investing in the girls,” Cook said. “We have some awesome girls on the team. And just getting to know them has been the best part.”
Ellis said that tonight’s match will be a reflection for the seniors on the team.
“We want to send them off for their last regular season game with a victory,” she said.
But Cheney and Cook will be the only active players in the match. Lang is sidelined with a season-ending re-tearing of her right ACL sustained during UCLA’s 2-0 win over Cal State Northridge on Sept. 25.
Larsen and Wilmoth remain suspended as of Thursday afternoon because of a violation of team rules.
The Bruins are looking to build on two dominating wins at home last weekend. UCLA downed Oregon 5-1 Friday night and blanked Oregon State 3-0 on Sunday.
“We had a great weekend, scored a lot of goals, so I think confidence,” Ellis said. “Last weekend was about gaining confidence, seizing opportunity and a lot of players did that. So now, it’s about taking that forward to our last regular season game (at home).”
UCLA will only play one contest this weekend as USC is the only opponent coming to Westwood.
“It’s great, the timing is great,” Ellis said. “It’s two weekends before playoffs, so it allows players to have a couple of days downtime, catch up on their homework and studies and also physically recover. It’s really good. It’s perfect timing, actually.”
