WOMEN'S SOCCER Sunday, 1 p.m. at USC McAlister Field
When the No. 4 UCLA women’s soccer team takes the field against No. 19 USC on Sunday, the Bruins will be playing for something more valuable than just another win.
Pride.
While the Bruins (11-2, 2-0 Pac-10) strive to gain victory in every match, a win over USC (7-2-3, 0-0-2) carries with it a sense of accomplishment that will remain no matter how the rest of the season turns out.
“We have developed a hatred against USC, and we want to win this game every year even more than any other game,” junior goalkeeper Valerie Henderson said. “It’s going to be a real physical game because there is a lot of pride involved, and we just have to be the tougher team and fight it to the death.”
If their record in recent years against the Trojans is any indication, the Bruins have a good shot at getting a win when they travel to McAlister Field this weekend. UCLA has a nine-game unbeaten streak versus USC, including seven straight wins.
The victories have not come easily, though – the last two UCLA-USC matches have been decided in double overtime.
“They are a very athletic team,” coach Jill Ellis said.
“They are well organized defensively and they’ve got some good attacking weapons. We have to be alert on defensive set pieces and on individually defending.”
USC’s most notable player is sophomore forward Amy Rodriguez, who was an All-American and the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year last season.
But the Bruins believe that the key to victory will be concentrating on their own play.
“Amy Rodriguez is a high-caliber player, but we need to focus on what we need to do to play well,” Ellis said.
“If our possessions can be good and we keep the ball, it makes it harder on the opponent.”
Sunday will also provide a chance for the Bruins to make a statement on the road.
Despite owning a 10-0 record at home, UCLA is 0-2 in its road matches.
With five of their next seven matches on the road, the Bruins will need to quickly learn to play away from Drake Stadium.
“I think this match will be good in terms of gaining confidence on the road, and to just get another chance to play away from home,” Henderson said.
Well aware of the importance of the rivalry, even the freshmen acknowledge the significance of this weekend’s match.
“I’m sure it’s going to be very intense because USC is our typical rival,” freshman Lydia Cook said.
“We are going to be hyped up for the game, and if we go in hard, we can set an impression right away. This is definitely a game we don’t want to lose.”
Even though USC leads the Pac-10 in assists and fewest goals allowed, the Bruins feel they will be well prepared for the Trojans after defeating California and Stanford last weekend.
California and Stanford were preseason picks to finish second and third, respectively, in the Pac-10, with UCLA chosen as the conference favorite.
“We’ve played two very good conference opponents, so the freshmen have been exposed to how difficult and intense the conference is, which will help them when facing USC,” Ellis said.
The Bruins know that even with all their preparation for the game, the outcome will depend on who comes out with the most desire.
“This is our rivalry game, and 50 percent of it is emotion,” Ellis said.
“Either team is capable of winning when the game is played with so much emotion.”