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Soccer gets rematch with Indiana

Bruins look to avenge

previous 2-0 loss, earn

a trip to NCAA finals

By Tim Costner

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Just over a month ago, the UCLA men's soccer team faced top-ranked Indiana in a game that could have vaulted the Bruins to No. 1 in the nation.

The implications were tantalizing for UCLA.

As the top-rated team, the Bruins would have been virtually assured of the top seed in the West for the NCAA Championships, which meant that UCLA would have the home-field advantage up until the Final Four.

As it turned out, UCLA was blanked, 2-0, by the Hoosiers, beginning a three-game slide that ultimately knocked the Bruins clear out of the West region and into the South region as the third seed.

But last Sunday, UCLA finally atoned for its missed opportunity, eradicating the memory of a three-game skid with a three-game run in the NCAAs.

Without a doubt, history will become insignificant this Friday in Davidson, N.C., when UCLA challenges Indiana once again ­ this time for the right to advance to the NCAA Championship match on Sunday.

"I think we're looking forward to playing Indiana again," UCLA head coach Sigi Schmid said. "There's no team that we're afraid of playing. Now it's just a matter of us putting together our best game of the season."

The Bruins, however, will be without starting goalkeeper Chris Snitko and defender Frankie Hejduk, both of whom were sent off in last Sunday's game for handball infractions.

Then again, UCLA was without left winger Eddie Lewis in its last meeting with Indiana, and Hejduk had to play despite a nagging back injury.

Once again the Bruins will have to juggle their lineup to compensate for the loss of key players, though Schmid doesn't really feel that it should hurt UCLA's chances.

"We've had to do that all year, so if any team's prepared to do that, we are," Schmid said of the lineup changes. "I'm confident in Matt Reis being able to replace Chris Snitko in the game, and I'm also confident that Adam Frye can do the job of marking back for Frankie. We'll probably step Greg Vanney into the midfield as the starter."

Vanney has scored the last two game-winning goals for the Bruins, both of which came within the last five minutes of each game and both of which punctuated come-from-behind victories.

But having to come from behind has been part of the Bruins' problem this postseason. In each of UCLA's playoff games, the team has allowed two goals, and with a relatively inexperienced goalie taking the field, the pressure is rising.

"It's my job to be ready in situations like these," said Reis, who has logged only 273 minutes this season. "I'm anxious to get it over with, but I'm excited to be playing in front of a national audience. It's not so much that I feel ready ­ I have to be ready."

That mentality exists among the team as a whole, and it's a different mentality than the Bruins had against the Hoosiers earlier.

"I thought we were in awe of them in the first half," Schmid said of the Oct. 30 match. "I don't think we'll be in awe of them now. I think the guys know that they can play with them. In the second half we played them even and maybe had more of the game. I expect to start Friday's game like that."

Should UCLA prevail, the team will play either Rutgers or Virginia for the championship on Sunday.

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