UCLA Bruins
Pac-12
In year two under Head Coach B.J. Snow, we have seen a continual evolution in the UCLA women’s soccer program to a team that is not afraid to get into a knockdown drag-out 1-0 match. But yet when they need to, they can rack up goals and still beat very good teams convincingly and when they are the superior team, more times than not, they don’t lose. The 2012 season has not been any different to date as the Bruins once again have played themselves into the national championship conversation. Thus, with the College Cup being held right down Interstate 5 in San Diego, this could finally be the year that UCLA kicks the door down and wins its first national championship.
2012 Record: 15-2-2, 8-2-1
Coach: B.J. Snow
Good Results: 9/9 Tennessee (1-0), 10/7 at Oregon State (4-1), 10/26 California (3-0)
Bad Results: 9/7 Loyola Marymount (1-1), 9/20 Washington State (0-0), 10/28 Stanford (1-2)
Why They Can Surprise:
The ability to stay at home, most likely throughout the entire postseason, is going to be a huge asset for the Bruins. The ability to not have to travel in the women’s tournament is a huge advantage, and in a lot of situations, is a decisive factor in who makes it to the Women’s College Cup. In addition, the ability to defend and not let opponents have many scoring chances at all is what separates this UCLA team from the majority of women’s college soccer. They simply don’t give you anything defensively, not even set pieces like corner kicks. They also can surprise because of the explosive attacking play of Zakiya Bywaters, who is the Bruins’ leading scorer and has been clutch throughout the season in getting key goals to secure victories for UCLA.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The inability to put a team like Stanford away when they had the chance is something that could be a concern in the postseason. Also, if Zakiya Bywaters gets taken out of the game attack wise, who is going to raise their game and pick up the slack? Teams are going to be keying on Bywaters as UCLA gets deeper into the NCAA Tournament. The trifecta of Taylor Smith, Ally Courtnall, and Rosie White are going to be vital as they are going to need to take advantage of their chances to score goals to put the pressure back on the opposition. The other concern would be if the Bruins were to prematurely end up with a tough regional team like San Diego State in say the Sweet 16. The regionalization of the brackets tends to create these earlier round matchups and that could be a potential trap for UCLA if the Aztecs were to win a tight one goal game or a shootout to advance.
Key Strikers:
Rosie White, Sophomore, 5 goals, 2 assists
Taylor Smith, Freshman, 7 goals, 4 assists
Key Midfielders:
Zakiya Bywaters, Senior, 13 goals, 4 assists
Samantha Mewis, Sophomore, 2 goals, 3 assists
Caprice Dydasco, Sophomore, 0 goals, 4 assists
Jenna Richmond, Junior, 0 goals, 7 assists
Key Defenders:
Ally Courtnall, Sophomore, 3 goals, 3 assists
Abby Dahlkemper, Sophomore, 3 goals, 3 assists
Lucretia Lee, Senior, 1 goal, 1 assist
Key Goalkeepers:
Katelyn Rowland, Sophomore, 0.49 goals against average, .818 save percentage, 9 shutouts
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 2.28 (21st in nation, 2nd in conference)
Goals-Against Average: 0.434 (2, 1)
Shutout Percentage: 0.611 (9, 1)
Save Percentage: 0.857 (15, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
UCLA 2011 First Round Defeated New Mexico
UCLA 2011 Second Round Lost to San Diego
UCLA 2010 First Round Defeated BYU
UCLA 2010 Second Round Defeated UCF
UCLA 2010 Third Round Lost to Stanford
UCLA 2009 First Round Defeated Boise State
UCLA 2009 Second Round Defeated San Diego State
UCLA 2009 Third Round Defeated Virginia
UCLA 2009 Quarterfinals Defeated Portland
UCLA 2009 National Semifinals Lost to Stanford
UCLA 2008 First Round Defeated Fresno State
UCLA 2008 Second Round Defeated San Diego
UCLA 2008 Third Round Defeated USC
UCLA 2008 Quarterfinals Defeated Duke
UCLA 2008 National Semifinals Lost to North Carolina
UCLA 2007 First Round Defeated Cal State Fullerton
UCLA 2007 Second Round Defeated Oklahoma State
UCLA 2007 Third Round Defeated Virginia
UCLA 2007 Quarterfinals Defeated Portland
UCLA 2007 National Semifinals Lost to USC
*all team stats through 10/28
See All Women’s Soccer Postseason Capsules
