Gaucho squad too powerful for UCLA

  MICHAEL TOBEY Senior midfielder Carey Brown drives by a
UCSB player in anticipation of a pass during UCLA’s 6-5 loss. The
two teams will meet again on Saturday in Santa Barbara for the
playoffs. UCSB 6 UCLA 5

By Regina Yeh

Daily Bruin Contributor

It was the driving force behind each player ““ like armed
warriors, lacrosse sticks held stolidly, guarded expressions
further hidden beneath helmets, the UCLA men’s lacrosse team
did its best to hold ground against the challenging visitor, the
UCSB Gauchos.

Yet, despite its tough stance and desire for avenging the
two-year losing streak against the Gauchos, the Bruins faltered at
the beginning of the game. UCSB took the lead quickly and
ultimately finished off the Bruins’ last league game of the
season with a loss, 6-5.

“It took us a while to start really getting confident, and
they definitely caught us off guard at the pressure they put on our
defense,” fourth-year midfielder and co-captain Mike
Montgomery said.

Once the referee dropped the ball to begin the game, the teams
instantly began the battle for domination. UCSB established their
lead in the first quarter, forcing the Bruins to struggle to match
their opponent’s goals.

The Gauchos refused to let go of their lead in the second
quarter, pulling ahead with their offensive strength.

“We let them get an early lead,” Coach Mike Allan
said, referring to a recurring weakness of the team, “but
later we stepped up toe to toe.”

In the third quarter, UCLA finally began to return the
aggression, aided by the crowds exhorting the players as they
gained confidence and momentum.

The Bruins began to move the ball deeper into UCSB’s
defensive zone, returning the goals they allowed earlier.

The Bruins’ wild weaving through opponents, juxtaposed
with the deft movements of their passes, resulted in three goals.
Alarmed, the Gauchos threw their concentration into defending their
goal from the risk of a tie or loss.

To the Bruins’ misfortune, time ran out before another
score. It was the third loss in the past three years to UCSB.

“We just had a couple lapses that ended the game with us
losing. We played some solid games in the past few weeks, and we
came close; we should have won,” fourth-year defense Doug
Rockwell said.

Next week, UCLA battles UCSB once again, this time in the
playoffs. Coach Allan believes that while they had come into
Saturday’s battle without a game plan, they’ll have the
advantage of knowing how to prepare for the following game.

“Now that we’ve seen what they can do, we can put
more stuff out there on the field to come back strong,” Allan
said.

And in retrospect, UCLA lacrosse has still finished its season
with the intensity that before had been so much hindered by
adversity; finishing games strong shows much more than just the
final score.

“I think we played a pretty solid game throughout ““
it was really close, and we’re optimistic about next week
when we play them again in the playoffs,” third-year attacker
Andrew Lusardi said.

“In the season, we started out down, and then won a few
games coming up to this,” Lusardi continued. “But
we’re playing some of the best lacrosse that I’ve
seen.”