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Redshirt junior Lindsay Greco, UCLA’s scoring leader last season, is one of nine starters r

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The Tour de France has 20 stages.

The soccer season has 20 games.

A Tour victory is a team effort.

A soccer victory is a team effort.

Lance Armstrong finishes races.

The UCLA women’s soccer team hasn’t been so fortunate.

Last season, the Bruins were eliminated by Texas A&M in the third round of the NCAA tournament despite outshooting the Aggies 21-0. UCLA couldn’t finish its scoring opportunities and went on to lose 3-1 in a shootout.

This season, the Bruins would like to finish: their scoring, their season, their NCAA championship.

Because of his unrivaled ability to finish, the Bruins have adopted Lance Armstrong and his amazing exploits on cycling’s grandest stage as a season theme and inspiration.

UCLA head coach Jillian Ellis has masterminded the Tour de France theme, right from the day when every team member received her own yellow jersey. The long sleeve jersey says UCLA on the front, with the “LA” in blue for “Lance Armstrong.” The back reads, “Take nothing for granted.”

Said Ellis, “I had each one of them come up to the front of the room, and I had them say, ‘I will lead my team,’ and they could pick ‘in the mountains,’ ‘in the time trials,’ or ‘in the sprints.’

“And then what we do in practice, the player who has had the greatest impact on training gets to wear the yellow jersey, so they will train in the yellow jersey (the next practice).  That’s the way to recognize that she’s in front and that she’s the leader for the day.”

The goal is that this Bruin team will have many leaders, with different people stepping up in different situations. And if the team works together as Lance Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service team has done so brilliantly for the last five years, these Bruins could be a formidable force through every stage.

The team, which begins the season ranked No. 5 and returns nine of 11 starters from last year’s squad that finished 18-4, has filled in any holes with the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class. These newcomers will join a veteran line-up that boasts a load of international experience and success.

The success seems to start with Ellis.  Now in her fifth season at the helm, she has elevated the program to national prominence.  Ellis has compiled a 72-16-2 record as head coach and was named National Coach of the Year in 2000, and this may be her best team yet.

The group of forwards will be lead by redshirt junior Lindsay Greco, UCLA’s leading scorer from a year ago. Last season, Greco tallied 21 points on seven goals and seven assists.

Joining Greco up top will be sophomore Iris Mora. Mora had an exciting summer playing for the Mexican National Team, which nearly qualified for the 2003 Women’s World Cup. Had her team qualified, she would have been forced to redshirt and miss the UCLA season.  Mora scored seven goals in just 14 matches last season.

“She’s a great spark plug for us,” Ellis said. “She will bring great energy, great attacking flair. I’m excited to get her in and blend her in right away.”

Freshman Bristyn Davis, Student Sports Magazine’s National Player of the Year, will fight for time up front, along with junior Kim Devine (7 goals, 2 assists last year).

Midfield will be a very competitive spot for the Bruins, as many players have a legitimate shot at earning playing time.

Senior Whitney Jones, a three-year starter, will anchor the position. A first-team All-Pac-10 selection last year, Jones also plays for the UCLA women’s basketball team.

Jones will likely be joined in the midfield by sophomore Stacy Lindstrom and senior Sarah-Gayle Swanson. Swanson had five game-winning goals for the Bruins last season. Also in the midfield, freshman Stephanie Kron, the No. 14 recruit on Soccer America’s list of the top-25 recruits, has the ability to start.

The Bruin defense, possibly the team’s strongest asset last season (0.57 goals allowed per game), will be strong this year as well.

First-team All-American Nandi Pryce returns for her senior season, fresh off an international championship, helping the Under-21 U.S. National Team to its fifth consecutive Nordic Cup title.

Senior Kathryn Lee, juniors Kendal Billingsley and Amy Fazio, and freshman Mary Castelanelli will all look to receive significant playing time in the back for the Bruins as well.

At goalkeeper, the Bruins have three options: junior Sarah Lombardo, freshman Arianna Criscione, and senior Jaclyn Harwood. Lombardo should see the bulk of the playing time, as she played in all 22 matches last season, starting 20 of them.

Also notable for the Bruins are the players who won’t be seeing any action early in the season, those players who are out with injuries.

Most prominent is sophomore Jill Oakes. A prized recruit out of high school, Oakes was a freshman All-American and first-team All-Pac-10 performer in the midfield last year.  She tore her PCL in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and is currently rehabbing the injury. Ellis hopes to see her back in action by the middle of the season.

Forwards Krystal James and Katie Rivera both suffered torn ACLs last season. James’ injury will force her to redshirt, while Ellis would like to see Rivera back by midseason.

“With Jill and Katie we are shooting for the middle of the season,” Ellis said. “Right before the Pac-10s we are going to assess and evaluate.”

Though the injuries don’t help, the Bruins should be able to overcome them with their depth.

They will also look to overcome the bitterness left from the Texas A&M match last year.

“We don’t want that to happen again,” Greco said. “In a way it’s behind us. We’re moving forward to this year, but in a way it’s going to always be in the back of our heads.  We don’t want that to happen, so we just work harder.”

So far, team-leader Pryce has been pleased with what she’s seen.

“I know in the years past I think I’ve stood in front of a lot of people and said that we had what it takes (to win a championship) as players, but this preseason has been the most unbelievable thing ever,” she said. “Graduating one and bringing in so many that can potentially start for us is huge.”

The Bruins will look to start huge, as they open the season August 29 at preseason No. 1 Santa Clara, the 2001 College Cup champions and 2002 College Cup runners-up.

But even if they lose, this team will undoubtedly put it in the perspective of a long race.

Then it only matters who is wearing the yellow jersey at the finish.

The women’s soccer team plays its first home game against UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday, Sept. 3 as part of the UCLA Tournament at Drake Stadium.

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