UCLA women's soccer ties with Washington State in Pac-12 opener
By Emma Coghlan
Sept. 21, 2012 10:53 p.m.
When a team comes to Drake Stadium, history proves that it’s more than likely all their offense will be for naught.
UCLA women’s soccer has only allowed two goals this season, with shutouts becoming the norm for the squad.
However, the Bruins were missing one vital ingredient for a win on Thursday ““ getting the ball into the net.
On Thursday, that was where UCLA struggled through regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods.
The Bruins added a second draw to their record with a 0-0 draw in their first Pac-12 game on Thursday.
While a tie is not so much a scar as a blemish on a team’s record, coach B.J. Snow was not pleased with his team’s performance.
“I think I’m a little disappointed in our team’s effort, and that’s the first time I’ve been able to say that this year,” Snow said. “We looked lethargic at times, played without emotion, I looked for leadership to dig themselves out but they had a really hard time once they were down there.”
While the Bruins managed to keep possession most of the game, rarely letting the ball get anywhere close to redshirt junior goalkeeper Alana Munger, shots made it close to the goal.
“We did a good job of keeping possession; what really hurt us was execution,” said sophomore defender Ally Courtnall, who played as a forward in the game.
UCLA saw a very different result when it won two games last weekend, netting 11 goals.
The Thursday game marked both a first and a last for the Bruins. While they made their initial jump into Pac-12 play, it was also the last of a long stretch of home games. The Bruins won’t be nestled back on the homey benches of Drake until late October.
When they travel to Arizona next weekend, they will have to take on a brand new mindset, keeping their heads with them as they travel far from the confines of home.
“Being away from home, you have to bring a different mentality, you don’t have the comfort of your own bed or anything like that,” said junior midfielder Chelsea Stewart. “We need to roll with the bumps that come with road trips, and bring it like Washington State brought it to us.”
Snow was quick to note that the 2012 team’s first venture into the Pac-12 was a learning experience, one that he hopes they will remember moving forward.
“When we play conference games, every single game is going to be tough,” Snow said. “You have to be ready emotionally and physically, and our engines weren’t ready for that.”
