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Women’s soccer to battle USC for second place in Pac-12

Redshirt senior forward Anika Rodriguez, who has started seven of eight games since returning from an injury, has notched four assists this season for No. 13 UCLA women’s soccer. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin senior staff)

By Cassidy Hunt

Nov. 5, 2019 12:08 a.m.

The Bruins said they need to keep their momentum up.

No. 13 UCLA women’s soccer (13-4-1, 7-3-0 Pac-12) is currently tied with its final opponent of the regular season, No. 11 USC (14-3-1, 7-3-0), for second place in the Pac-12 conference. The Bruins are riding a four-game winning streak they will have a chance to lengthen before entering postseason.

Redshirt senior forward Anika Rodriguez said the Bruins need to stay tuned in during their final week of conference play so they can receive a good position in the playoffs.

“I think our goal is to peak at the national championship game,” Rodriguez said. “That is where we would like to be playing our best soccer all season. So, we just want to keep improving from game to game and keep getting better.”

This is the second year in a row that UCLA and USC will enter their rivalry match with a second-place finish in the Pac-12 and favorable seeding in the NCAA tournament on the line.

At this time last season, the Bruins had strung together an eight-game winning streak before they defeated the Trojans 3-2 in overtime at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Following the loss, the Trojans placed third in the Pac-12 and received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament despite being ranked No. 2 in the nation prior to the rivalry meeting. USC ended its season in the third round with a loss to Florida State.

In contrast, UCLA was given a No. 2 seed in the tournament after clinching second place in the Pac-12. The Bruins then went on to win three straight matches in the NCAA tournament before ending their championship run against North Carolina in the quarterfinals when the Tar Heels advanced on penalty kicks.

Junior defender Lucy Parker said she is confident in the Bruins’ ability to be successful in the postseason, as long as they continue to improve with every match.

“It’s huge to keep that momentum going, because once we lose, we’re out,” Parker said. “We create a lot of goal-scoring opportunities that we’re still not putting away. Once we can get over that, I don’t think there are many teams that would be able to stop us.”

The Bruins recorded their season-high shots on goal and goals scored in their match against Oregon State last week, while redshirt senior forward Chloe Castaneda recorded two goals and totaled five points – the Bruins’ individual single-game season-high.

Coach Amanda Cromwell said she is excited to see individual players rise up ahead of the playoffs.

“I think there are a lot of other players that are stepping up that are going to help us,” Cromwell said. “We have great momentum right now. It’s all about putting ourselves in a better position for the postseason, about getting the highest seed possible and getting better in each game.”

UCLA will host USC in its final match of the regular season Friday at 6 p.m.

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Cassidy Hunt | Sports staff
Hunt is currently a Sports staff writer on the softball and women's soccer beats. She was previously a reporter on the gymnastics, women's water polo and swim & dive beats.
Hunt is currently a Sports staff writer on the softball and women's soccer beats. She was previously a reporter on the gymnastics, women's water polo and swim & dive beats.
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