Women’s Soccer Notebook

  ED RHEE Stephanie Rigamat plays against
USC in a game this weekend. Rigamat was named Pac-10 Player of the
Week.

Winning streak struck

UCLA’s 3-0 loss at Santa Clara last Thursday snapped the
longest winning streak in team history. Prior to the shutout loss,
the Bruins (12-1-0, 3-0-0 Pac-10) had won 11 straight matches and
outscored opponents 31-4.

Santa Clara (13-1-0) had also been the last team to score three
goals on the Bruins. The Broncos netted seven goals in a 1999 NCAA
third round playoff shutout to send the Bruins home in head coach
Jillian Ellis’ first season at UCLA.

UCLA has never scored on Santa Clara, which had traditionally
been considered the preeminent West Coast soccer power before the
Bruins earned a spot in the NCAA Final a year ago. The all-time
damage count now reads, Broncos 12, Bruins 0.

Broncos buck up

Santa Clara wasn’t done handing out losses to undefeated
teams. Upstart St. Mary’s (Calif.) was the Broncos’
second unbeaten victim in a week. The Gaels (11-1-1), who dealt
West Coast Conference rival Pepperdine its first loss earlier in
the week, fell to Santa Clara 1-0 Sunday.

That leaves No. 1 North Carolina as the only undefeated team in
the nation. The Tar Heels (13-0-0) disposed of No. 12 Clemson 3-0
to further secure their stranglehold on the top spot.

UNC and UCLA had sat at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively since the
preseason National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, but
the Bruins fell to the third spot in every major poll following
their first loss. Santa Clara took over as No. 2.

Three other Pac-10 schools rank in the top 25 of the latest
NSCAA poll. Stanford is sixth, followed by last year’s Pac-10
champion Washington at No. 16. California checks in at No. 22.

With their 2-1 comeback win Sunday at Drake Stadium, UCLA
remains unbeaten in the Pac-10 and has not lost consecutive games
in a season since 1996.

Best in the Pac

Senior forward Stephanie Rigamat was named Pac-10 Player of the
Week for the week of Oct. 8-15.

The team’s leading scorer had two goals and an assist in
wins against Arizona and Arizona St. two weekends ago. Her goal
against the Sun Devils capped a 3-2 comeback victory that at the
time preserved UCLA’s perfect record.

Notes compiled by Jeff Agase, Daily Bruin Staff.