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  NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Lindsay Greco confronts a defender during a recent match against Vanderbilt University.

By Jeff Agase

Daily Bruin Contributor

When asked to describe in just one word her team’s feeling after starting the season with seven consecutive road games, UCLA women’s soccer player Karissa Hampton answered without hesitation.

“Consistent,” she said.

The senior defender couldn’t have pegged the feeling any better. The No. 5 Bruins (6-1 overall, 0-0 Pac-10) are riding high, owners of a six-game winning streak and their highest ranking in school history.

And with their first home game of the season tonight against Fresno State (7-3) at 7:30 under the lights of Spaulding Field, they have added incentive to continue playing like one of the elite women’s soccer programs in the country.

“We’re totally psyched that we have a night game on Spaulding,” Hampton said. “It is going to add so much adrenaline to all of us to play in front of our home crowd.”

Coming home never felt better. The Bruins have been unbeaten at home for nearly two years, with their last loss in Westwood on Nov. 14, 1998, at the hands of BYU in an NCAA Tournament second-round match.

The Bruins wrapped up their seven-game road sojourn on Sept. 24 with a 3-0 win over the University of San Diego that featured a near record-setting pouncing by the UCLA offense.

Junior forward Stephanie Rigamat took the opening kickoff and stormed down the field in just 11 seconds to score the fifth-fastest goal in NCAA history.

Senior forward Tracey Milburn added two goals, and the Bruins had their fourth consecutive shutout.

Assistant coach Lisa Shattuck said that the team accomplished one of its main goals before the Toreros could even blink.

“One of our goals for the game was to score early,” Shattuck said. “I think 11 seconds is pretty early.”

USD mustered only five shots in 90 minutes, but Bruin goalkeeper CiCi Peterson had to endure more than just the Torero offense en route to her fourth straight shutout.

“They have this band. They’re kind of obnoxious,” Peterson said of the mischievous musicians taunting her throughout the game. “It actually made me play better. It was kind of funny because they were losing.”

With a blanking of the Bulldogs tonight, Peterson can own the UCLA record for consecutive shutouts with five. At four, she currently shares the mark with Gretchen Overgaard and Lindsay Culp.

The Bruins, who boast an all-time mark of 4-0 against Loyola Marymount (6-2-1), will head across town to take on the Lions at Sullivan Field on Sunday.

Shattuck emphasized the importance of consistent play from her team rather than playing in response to the competition.

“We approach every game the same as far as that we have to win,” Shattuck said. “I don’t think we’re going to change anything. I think that our formation that we’re using and the players we are using are playing well, and I don’t think there’s any reason to change anything.”

Change can be good, but an eight-game winning streak would be even better.