ANNA AVIK Senior Ryan Lee makes a run
with the ball during a game against St. Mary’s earlier this
season. The Bruins lost 1-0 to Stanford on Sunday.
By Jim Guthrie
Daily Bruin Contributor
The No. 1 UCLA men’s soccer team suffered a major setback
in its hunt for a national championship on Sunday when it lost to
No. 4 Stanford 1-0 in Palo Alto for the team’s first loss of
the season.
The Bruins (8-1, 0-1 Pac-10) struggled on offense, managing only
seven shots on goal, and defensively could not keep the pressure
off true freshman goalie D.J. Countess when Cardinal forward
Johannes Maliza scored the deciding goal.
“They brought a physical aspect of the game and
we’re not up to the challenge yet,” said senior forward
McKinley Tennyson Jr. “We are a young team and sometimes you
are going to have to get these experiences to help you learn and
grow during the season.”
Countess had played outstandingly throughout the early part of
the game, tying a UCLA record with 11 saves on 21 shots. But the
Bruins let one slip away in the 61st minute.
Stanford midfielder Sean Sylvis took the ball from a UCLA
defender near the penalty box and passed it across the field to
Maliza, who headed it past Countess into the net.
UCLA had some opportunities of its own but missed on two crucial
occasions earlier in the game. Tennyson had a chance in the 19th
minute but his 12-yard header sailed wide off the right post.
The next opportunity came from senior midfielder Shaun Tsakiris,
last week’s Pac-10 player of the week, whose free kick in the
26th minute was stopped by Stanford’s Hermann Trophy
candidate defender Lee Morrison.
“It was frustrating.” Tsakiris told the San Jose
Mercury News. “We had our chances to score. I thought I had a
goal on that free kick but it went off their defender.”
Many factors contributed to the loss. The usually potent UCLA
forwards managed only two shots and the team was outshot 21-10. The
defense could not stop the Stanford attack from taking shots at the
freshman stopper. A talented Stanford team played very well,
improving to 9-1-1 on the season.
“We did not play our best game,” said coach Todd
Saldaña. “We did not play the offensive game we are
known for. It is a bump in the road and a good indication of the
Pac-10 season.”
With the eight-game winning streak snapped, the Bruins learned
the Pac-10 season will be a trying one. Though they have not been
playing up to their potential, this is the first match where the
Bruins haven’t been able to squeak by with a win.
The Bruins will most likely slip in the polls, but their
championship hopes are far from over.
“I think from now on every game is our biggest
game,” Tennyson said. “That’s the attitude we
have to take for the rest of the season. We’ll start
regrouping and preparing and treat every team like they’re
number one in the country.”
The Bruins will look to finish the Pac-10 season strong starting
with Friday’s game against Oregon State. The Bruins also will
be looking forward to Nov. 10, their rematch with Stanford on home
turf.