Women’s Soccer Notebook

Shakedown in the Pac-10

The Bruins entered last weekend’s home matches against
Washington and Washington State as one of three second-place Pac-10
teams hoping for a shot at the the conference title.

They emerged this week as controllers of their own conference
destiny after a number of matches went their way.

The Bruins played a part in the first advantageous outcome.
UCLA’s 1-0 defeat of Washington Friday afternoon gave the
Huskies their second conference loss and left the Bruins locked in
second place with just USC.

Friday night, previously undefeated Stanford fell to a dangerous
Arizona State squad 1-0 in overtime. Before the Stanford upset, the
Bruins knew they could capture at least a share of the Pac-10 title
by winning their remaining three games.

But by virtue of the Cardinal picking up its first conference
loss, both UCLA and USC put themselves into position to share the
title by winning Sunday and sweeping the Bay Area schools next
weekend.

The Bruins held up their end of the bargain by defeating
Washington State 3-1, but the Women of Troy fell 3-0 to the same
Huskies that the Bruins had beaten on Friday.

Whew. So what does it all mean? It means the Bruins are now in
prime position to win the Pac-10 title outright. Wins this weekend
against California and fellow conference leader Stanford would
leave UCLA as the only team with one Pac-10 loss.

Pulling rank and moving up

UCLA moved up two spots to No. 3 in the latest National Soccer
Coaches Association of America poll. Stanford fell from second to
fourth following its loss to Arizona State.

The current positions of the Bruins and Cardinal are of
paramount importance because NCAA playoff brackets will be released
Monday, one day after their season-ending match. The losing team
will likely fall out of the top four and lose an opportunity to
play all of its playoff games before the Final Four at home.

The Bruins have not lost a home match since Nov. 14, 1998, a
streak that spans 23 games.

For the record

Senior Staci Duncan further etched her name into Bruin soccer
lore with her fourth goal of the season Sunday.

A breakaway score in the first half pulled her into a tie with
former teammate Tracey Milburn for second place on the UCLA career
goals scored list with 33.

Duncan still trails all-time leader Traci Arkenberg by a sizable
38-goal margin.

Notes compiled by Jeff Agase, Daily Bruin Staff.