W. soccer: Bruins rebound and beat UW for split

It all could have unraveled for the UCLA women’s soccer
team Sunday.

Having already lost to unranked Washington State on Friday
night, the Bruins needed to salvage a split two days later at
seventh-ranked Washington to avoid falling back in the Pac-10
race.

But with its conference title hopes on the line, UCLA
responded.

Senior Lindsay Greco ignited the Bruin offense with a goal in
the first minute of play and sophomore Bristyn Davis added a
second-half hat trick as the eighth-ranked Bruins routed the
Huskies 5-1 in Seattle on Sunday.

“Our chances of winning the conference with two losses at
this point of the season would have been slim,” UCLA coach
Jill Ellis said. “The players knew that, and they took it to
heart.”

The day after the Bruins’ agonizing 1-0 loss to Washington
State (7-5-2, 2-2 Pac-10), Ellis held a team meeting and emphasized
how important the next match would be. UCLA (10-4, 3-1) seemed to
take that message to heart the following afternoon, jumping on top
before many of the Huskies’ faithful had even found their
seat.

Taking a pass from teammate Iris Mora, Greco dribbled up the
left side and beat Washington goalie Kelsey Rasmussen with a
15-yard shot from a sharp angle just 57 seconds into the match. The
goal, one of four that UCLA scored from its wide midfield
positions, was a big confidence boost for the Bruins, who had not
scored a goal since early in the second half against Oregon the
previous weekend.

“It settled us down,” said Greco, who had missed
four of the team’s previous five games with a hamstring
injury before returning Friday night.

“We all got together and said we needed to bring it
(against Washington). Scoring early was a big confidence
boost.”

Mora made it 2-0 UCLA with a goal in the 17th minute, but it was
Davis who broke the game open for the Bruins.

With UCLA leading 2-1, the sophomore forward tapped in an easy
putback shot from point-blank range in the 49th minute, giving the
team some breathing room again. Davis netted her second goal less
than two minutes later on a chip shot from 18 yards out before
completing the hat trick in the 52nd minute, capping a long
dribbling run with a 15-yard scoring strike.

It was the first career three-goal game for Davis, who leads
UCLA with 11 goals on the season, and it all came in one
three-minute barrage.

“During halftime we talked about getting one more goal to
put the game away,” Ellis said. “Bristyn certainly did
that.”

The victory washed away the aftertaste from Friday’s
stunning loss and left UCLA in a good position in the conference
race.

With five conference games left in the season, the Bruins are
tied with No. 24 Arizona for first place in the Pac-10. Arizona
State, Washington, Washington State and USC are all within one game
of the Wildcats and Bruins.

“We control our own destiny,” Ellis said.
“That’s all you can ask for.”