UCLA to minimize mistakes, out-skate USC
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 14, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 Bridget O’Brien/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Sophomore goalie
Matt Miller and the rest of the UCLA ice hockey
team look to stop USC.
By Vytas Mazeika
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
It’s easy to tell that the Crosstown Cup means a lot to
the UCLA ice hockey team. The quest for the Cup though, might take
backseat to the playoffs when the Bruins meet the Trojans for two
games starting today.
UCLA (2-8, 1-5 Pac-8) needs to start winning now for playoff
positioning, and if they happen to win the Crosstown Cup with three
wins against USC, so be it.
“Our goal is to make the playoffs, and obviously we
haven’t had a good start right now,” assistant head
coach Mike Siegel said. “Although we are making improvements
here and there, we’re not playing the way we can. So
there’s a sense of urgency because if we don’t start
winning, we’re going to miss the playoffs.
“We need to start winning, and it needs to start this
weekend.”
For intensity purposes, though, it can only help that the games
are against the Trojans (5-9, 3-3) ““ the first today at the
Disney Ice Arena in Anaheim and the second Friday at the
Healthsouth Training Center in El Segundo.
“No matter if we do good or bad, our team pretty much
always steps up to play ‘SC,” sophomore left wing
Robert Morel said.
“It’s like a different game when we play
them,” Morel added.
The Bruins will have to contend without first line winger David
Cokely, who is out for the season after separating his
shoulder.
Linemate James Costello and Siegel feel the team in general will
have to step up and give that extra little effort.
“We’re hoping with a team effort we’ll be able
to make up for that loss,” Siegel said.
Something the Bruins will have to do is avoid the mistakes that
have plagued them during their five-game losing streak. Siegel
feels his players are a lot more focused on the task at hand, but
feels they need to keep that attention to detail and commit to play
the entire 60 minutes.
“Every game so far, we’ve been tied halfway through
the game, or we’ve been leading halfway through the
game,” Siegel said. “And we’ve stopped paying
attention to the details and stopped working that extra little
bit.”
During their first meeting this season, a 9-2 loss Nov. 2, the
game was tied halfway before a couple of mistakes allowed the
floodgates to open up. The Trojans went on to score seven
unanswered goals to break the 2-2 deadlock.
“If we do end up down a goal, we need to rebound quickly
and not get too down if, at any time, they take the lead,”
Costello said.
UCLA feels it can skate with USC, but that won’t matter
unless they minimize on their mistakes and capitalize on their
opportunities.
“We expect the result to be pretty much different this
time,” Morel said.
