Men’s soccer season preview
Sophomore midfielder Ryan Hollingshead will be a key part of the men’s soccer team.
By Daily Bruin Staff
June 27, 2010 10:37 p.m.
KEY GAMES
Sept. 3 v. Notre Dame
The Bruins kick off their season in Indiana, and will take on the Fighting Irish, who made it to the second round of last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Sept. 24 at UC Santa Barbara
The Bruins travel to Santa Barbara to take on the Gauchos, a team that has played some important games against UCLA in the recent past. The Gauchos beat the Bruins 2-1 in the 2006 NCAA Championship game, but the Bruins ended the Gauchos’ 2009 season with a 2-1 victory in the third round of last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Oct. 3 v. Oregon State
UCLA hosts Oregon State, who finished second to the Bruins in the Pac-10 standings last year.
2009 RECAP
The UCLA men’s soccer team kicked off its season with a stunning upset over No. 1 Maryland. The Bruins finished the regular season with a 10-3-4 record and a second consecutive Pac-10 Championship. They entered the NCAA Tournament as the sixth overall seed, and beat Sacramento State and UC Santa Barbara at home in the second and third rounds. But what started off as a promising season for the Bruins ended with a 2-0 loss to No. 3 Wake Forest in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Seniors Kyle Nakazawa and Brian Perk led the team in their final year.
SEASON OUTLOOK
After a quarterfinal exit in last year’s NCAA Tournament, the UCLA men’s soccer team takes the field in 2010 without many of last season’s senior leaders. Kyle Nakazawa, Brian Perk and David Estrada are gone, and the Bruins are looking to replace them with a talented recruiting class. If young players like Earl Edwards and Zack Foxhoven can make an impact in their first year as Bruins, a third straight Pac-10 title may be a possibility.
SOURCE: uclabruins.com
Compiled by Bruin Sports senior staff.
