Bruins want to put away bad recollections of NCAA playoffs

Friday, November 21, 1997

Bruins want to put away bad recollections of NCAA playoffs

M. SOCCER: Team hopes to gain respect, revenge with a
first-round win

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily Bruin Staff

When the Bruins reached the Final Four in 1994 before losing to
Indiana 4-1 in the semifinal game, it was expected. But when Santa
Clara knocked off the Bruins during the second round in 1995 and
then, in 1996, Fullerton came out on top 2-1 in a first-round
upset, the UCLA men’s soccer squad received a reputation for
falling apart under pressure.

With a victory Sunday at Spaulding Field against the Broncos
(10-8), the No. 2 Bruins (17-2) will not only avenge NCAA
tournament upsets by Santa Clara in 1995 and 1991, but they will
also shed some of that recent criticism.

The game, scheduled for 1 p.m., also marks UCLA’s first chance
to host a playoff game since the Bruins hosted Santa Clara in 1995.
After last year’s stellar 16-3 season, the Bruins were snubbed by
the NCAA selection committee and sent off to play at hostile
Fullerton.

The chance to host a game and play on familiar turf is deemed
extremely beneficial by UCLA head coach Sigi Schmid and several
players like junior forward Seth George and senior defenseman Josh
Keller. Both George and Keller failed to get any significant
playing time in the two past playoff failures, George because of
his underclassman status and Keller because of a back injury in
1995 and a knee injury in 1996.

Also coming back onto the field is junior midfielder Tom Poltl.
Poltl, a previous member of the Under-20 National Team, is a
welcomed addition after missing the past few games with a severely
sprained ankle.

With Poltl back, though, the playing of someone must diminish.
Schmid has quite a few lineups that he may use. Schmid is likely to
sit freshman forward McKinley Tennyson Jr., freshman midfielder
Ryan Lee or sophomore midfielder Nick Paneno out. Also, Keller is
likely to return to his right midfielder role in order to make room
for Poltl in the middle.

The only real concern that Schmid has is how his team will react
to another playoff game. He considers this team more experienced
than the one that was upset last year at Fullerton, but there is a
lack of experience in the defense.

Although senior goalie Matt Reis and senior defenseman Kevin
Coye provide leadership, a large burden will fall on the shoulders
of freshman Carlos Bocanegra to control the right side and for
sophomore sweeper Steve Shak to stop the Broncos from getting too
many scoring opportunities on Reis.