Bruins vie for No. 1 spot against Cardinal

Friday, October 30, 1998

HOCKEY: Undefeated UCLA hopes to maintain record, skate toward Pac-8 victory

By Rocky Salmon

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

No more disappointments.

Last year, the UCLA ice hockey team was loaded with talent and poised to grab the Pac-8 crown and skate to victory.

Except they got called back for icing.

"We were the best team in the league last year, but we played inconsistently," coach Daryl Evans said. "There was a lack of maturity on the team, but last year was a blessing for this year."

The team would eventually finish in third place.

This year, the team has blasted off from the start, reeling off three straight victories against USC and Cal to begin the season undefeated.

In their home opener against the Trojans, USC melted under UCLA pressure, as the Bruins sprinted away with a 7-3 victory. Last weekend the Bruins traveled up to Cal and won two from them, 9-3 and 8-0.

So now UCLA will battle Stanford with home ice advantage for first place in the Pac-8.

But this will not be a normal one-vs.-two match, because UCLA was knocked out of the play-offs last year by the Cardinal in Oregon.

"Every year they have a good team. They are disciplined and well coached," Evans said. "They beat us (last year) because we played into their hands. We should come out on top with two wins."

Stanford has had a hockey team longer than the Bruins, and when the teams first started playing each other, they had a talent advantage. Now UCLA has all the talent.

The Bruins are led by goal scoring wizard Ben Theule, who had 20 goals and 24 assists last year. Backing him up on defense is James Campbell, who led all defensemen in the Pac-8 in scoring, notching 10 goals and 12 assists.

Then there is Mike Michelena, the backstop. Last year, he boasted a 91 percent save percentage and has began this season only giving up six goals.

Standing undefeated at 3-0, the Bruins are a favorite to win the Pac-8 crown but only if they keep the chemistry it took all last year to find.

If not, the Bruins may once again have a disappointing year. But the huge test comes against a talented Stanford team that is always one of the upper-echelon clubs.

If this is the year of the Bruin, then a Cardinal sweep is key to keep the momentum alive.

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