UCLA to defend Pac-10 soccer title

Friday, October 30, 1998

PREVIEW: Anticipation builds as team prepares to face crosstown rival USC

By A. CinQue Carter

Daily Bruin Contributor

It's for the love of the game.

When UCLA and USC clash, records don't mean a thing. The Trojan-Bruin rivalry is so intense that the competition is top-notch no matter what the sport.

Women's soccer is no exception to the rule.

The Bruins (15-2-1, 5-1 Pac-10) face off the Trojans on Sunday at the Los Angeles Coliseum in a match with serious Pac-10 and post-season implications. The Bruins come into the contest No. 1 in the Pac-10 conference but tied with Washington (5-1) and UC Berkeley (4-1) in the loss column.

"This game has a lot to do with the rivalry (between UCLA and USC) and winning the Pac-10," sophomore midfielder Sommer Hammoud said.

"The first thing we have in mind is winning the (conference), and we have to win the next three games in a row to do that. USC is the first of those three."

UCLA, ranked No. 19 by the NSCAA and No. 13 by both Soccer America and ESPN/ Soccer Times, comes into the contest riding a three-game win streak, while USC (10-6-1, 4-2), losers of their first two conference games, has won its last four. Also, the Trojans, unranked due to their early season slide, are in fourth place in the conference, just one game behind the first-place Bruins.

The conference race means so much because its victor will gain an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. While UCLA would have a legitimate shot at a berth without the Pac-10 crown, USC's chances would be slim to none.

"What makes (the game) so fun is the rivalry," Hammoud added.

That rivalry decided the Pac-10 crown last season. The title, eventually won by UCLA with a 9-0 record, was clinched by a Bruin victory over the Trojans, 3-2.

Their 1997 matchup drew a record 2,373 fans, 993 more than the Bruins' previous home record, set vs. Stanford. The cross-town rivals clashed, and UCLA walked away victorious 3-1.

In this year's hunt for the Pac-10 title, each team is posting high Pac-10 numbers. Defending champion UCLA, the conference leader in points, has totaled 115 points this season, while the Trojans are third with 97. UCLA has five players in double figures; USC has three. And while UCLA posts a 0.53 goals against average (GAA) to lead the conference, the Trojans are in fourth place with a 1.18 GAA and rising.

UCLA boasts five players among the conference's top 16 scorers. Freshman forward Staci Duncan is second in points (25), sophomore forward Tracey Milburn and freshman midfielder Breana Boling are tied for ninth with 18 points each, sophomore midfielder Venus James is 11th (15) and senior forward Larisa Kiremidjian is 16th (12).

Even more stellar is the Bruin defensive combination of keeper Lindsay Culp and defenders Skylar Little, Karissa Hampton and Krista Boling. With three games to go, the Bruins have already tied their season record of shutouts with 10.

Culp's performance is key; she is only conference keeper giving up less than one goal per game. The 0.55 GAA that Culp has produced includes a Bruin-best 9.5 season shutouts.

The backline, nicknamed the "No Goal Patrol," stands tall as well. Little, Hampton and Boling, in two weekend victories, limited Oregon to just three shots on goal last Friday and then set a UCLA record by holding Oregon State to a single shot.

"We pride ourselves on not giving up any goals," Hampton said. "It's all about defense.

"If we go out there (against 'SC) prepared like we were against OSU, then we'll handle our business. Everyone has to go out there and give it 110 percent.

"It's the seniors' last (home) game, and every minute means something."

USC will also want to send its seniors off in a big way. The seven players in their class are 1-2 vs. UCLA, and they would like to end up even when they leave.

Making a strong push for the women of Troy on Senior Day will be standouts junior midfielder Kim Clark and sophomore forward Isabelle Harvey, fourth and fifth in Pac-10 scoring respectively. The tandem places USC as the only school in the conference with two players in the top-five in scoring.

Clark's 21 points include a seventh-place ranking in goals (eight) and ranking sixth in assists (five). Harvey, meanwhile, has posted 20 points which include eight assists (first place in conference) and six goals (tied for ninth).

In last year's 16-win season, the Trojans counted on 49 percent of their scoring to come from Clark. USC's pride and joy, who was named one of five "national players to watch" earlier this month by the Missouri Athletic Club, finished last season second in the Pac-10 in scoring with 43 points.

In just a little over two seasons, Clark, who also plays basketball with her twin sister Kristin, has moved into the top spot on USC's career points and assists lists (80 and 26, respectively).

For her achievements, Clark was named an All-American last season by NSCAA/ Umbro (third team), Soccer Buzz (third team) and Soccer News (honorable mention).

The junior midfielder has paced the Trojan attack. Nonetheless, USC has not faced a defense such as UCLA's.

The Bruins intend to continue dominating defensively, preventing USC coach Jim Millinder from earning his 50th career victory in this game.

"Everyone's just so fired up to play (USC)," Hampton said. "Watching them on film just livened us all up."

"We're a talented team and if we play like we know we can, then things should turn out like we want them to. We just have to play to the best of our abilities."

But since anything can happen, that's why they play the game.USC Sports Information

Bruin defenders look to shut out USC's Kim Clark as they have done to other conference top scorers.

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