Realizing the ultimate goal

Friday, November 7, 1997

Realizing the ultimate goal

PREVIEW: With only two games left, the women’s soccer team
anticipates the long-awaited chance to win a Pac-10
championship

By Chris Umpierre

Daily Bruin Contributor

Already the best team in school history, UCLA’s women’s soccer
squad will have the chance to make some more history this
weekend.

Not just school history but Pac-10 history.

If the No. 13 Bruins (15-2, 7-0) beat either Washington (Friday
at 7 p.m.) or Washington State (Sunday at 11 a.m.) this weekend,
they will clinch the first Pac-10 championship in UCLA women’s
soccer history. And if the Bruins are able to sweep the Washington
schools, they will become the first team to finish a Pac-10 season
with a perfect 9-0 record.

"We set that goal (to win the Pac-10) in the beginning of the
season," senior Traci Arkenberg said, who is focusing on ending her
illustrious Bruin career with a bang. "We made a pact between our
team. That we were going to fight for each other. That we were
going to die for each other until we won the Pac-10."

The final weekend of the season and the chance to clinch the
Pac-10 championship, which has seemed forever in coming, is finally
here for the Bruins.

"These last two games are going to be the most crucial games of
our careers," Arkenberg added. "There is going to be nothing that
comes between us and a Pac-10 victory."

This weekend has added significance, because playing the Huskies
on Friday night means more to the Bruins than the chance to clinch
the Pac-10 championship. Winning also means a little sweet
revenge.

The seniors on the squad still remember when Washington ousted
the 1995 Bruins from the playoffs. Nothing would be better for the
Bruins than to beat Washington to clinch the Pac-10
championship.

"All of us that are older do take those games to heart,"
Arkenberg said. "It’s almost a revenge factor. You set a goal that
you are going to beat them because they kept you out of the
playoffs (two years ago)."

Although the Bruins will be looking for revenge against the
Huskies, they will try not to let their emotions get in the way of
winning the Pac-10 championship.

The Bruins will hope to continue their great team- play this
weekend, which has led them to their current eight-game winning
streak and position atop the Pac-10.

Although Arkenberg gets a lot of publicity for her 46 points (19
goals, 8 assists), which is 15th in the nation, it has been
increased depth and players stepping up on both sides of the ball
for the team which has put the squad in position for a Pac-10
championship.

"Without Rhi (Tanaka) in the back, we wouldn’t have won one game
this year," Arkenberg said.

Players like Tanaka, Skylar Little, Tiffany Brown and Sarah
Miller have played important roles in the success of this Bruin
team, even though they don’t put up the astronomical numbers
Arkenberg puts up.

With a victory over the weekend, Arkenberg’s surrounding cast
might finally get some well deserved recognition.

DERRICK KUDO

Sommer Hammoud is a head above Arizona during their game last
week. If the Bruins win their matches this weekend, they will be
the Pac-10 champions.