UCLA vulnerable in upcoming clash of the Titans

Friday, November 7, 1997

UCLA vulnerable in upcoming clash of the Titans

SOCCER: Fullerton’s ranking leaves UCLA’s MPSF title hopes
pinned to success of Cal Poly

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily Bruin Staff

The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) will decide the
Pacific division title recipient this weekend, and for the first
time in five years, UCLA men’s soccer team may come up
empty-handed.

The No. 2 Bruins (15-2 overall, 3-1 in MPSF) cannot control
their own destiny as Cal State Fullerton (10-8, 3-1) defeated UCLA
earlier in the season and now holds the important head-to-head
tie-breaker.

But if the Titans were to fall or tie at Cal Poly San Luis
Obispo (5-10, 2-2) on Saturday, a UCLA victory against UC Santa
Barbara (4-13, 1-3) would create a Nov. 16 match between UCLA and
Stanford at Spaulding field for the MPSF Championship.

The chance to win the MPSF Pacific crown and the MPSF
Championship is very important for Fullerton, because their
mediocre record will not award them an at-large bid to the NCAA
playoffs.

The Bruins, on the other hand, think about pride and tradition
when they envision the MPSF title, because their high ranking and
almost immaculate record can almost guarantee them an at-large bid
from the NCAA.

UCLA now enjoys its highest ranking of the year, largely because
of its victories over University of Massachusetts (3-1) and Duke
(4-2). When Stanford lost to Indiana (1-2) and the University of
San Francisco (0-1), and the Cardinal suffered their first two
losses of the season, it allowed UCLA to surpass the MPSF Mountain
division winner as the top-ranked team in the West Coast.

The players who deem a possible MPSF title most important are
the seniors who could be playing their final game ever at UCLA on
Sunday against the Gauchos. Before the game, Bruin seniors Jimmy
Conrad, Kevin Coye, Josh Keller, Matt Reis, Danny Sparks and Nick
Theslof will be honored on the so-called Senior Day. Sparks,
ironically, will be honored in front of his former team. Sparks
transferred from UCSB, whom he played for from 1994-96.

But such incentive will not be necessary to make sure that the
seniors put forth an all-out effort. The only incentive these
seniors care about is the possibility of being selected into the
NCAA tournament and winning their first and only NCAA title.

* * *

Freshman forward McKinley Tennyson, Jr., should start once again
against the Gauchos due to a badly sprained ankle to junior
midfielder Tom Poltl. The injury resulted from Friday’s game
against the Minutemen will most likely sideline Poltl for two to
three weeks.

WYNN RUJIRAVIRIYAPINYO

Tom Poltl and the rest of the No. 2 Bruins hope that Cal State
Fullerton will fail in its attempt to clinch the MPSF
Championship.