In the minds of most Bruin fans there’s only one question facing the UCLA men’s soccer team: Will the magic be there for another season; can the Bruins successfully defend their national championship?
They’ve certainly got the tools: the No. 1 ranked recruiting class, a strong senior foundation, and one of the top goalkeepers in the country. Not to mention a No. 1 pre-season ranking in both the national NSCAA/Adidas Top 25 and Pac-10 coach’s polls.
Still, head coach Tom Fitzgerald remains faithful to his motto when he said, “We’re just gong to take it a game at a time.”
“With the departure of five crucial seniors and the addition of seven freshmen, this is going to be a different team, and our focus has to be similar to last year in that we can’t look to far into the future.”
Leading the team this season will be the a core of five seniors, midfielder Adolfo Gregorio, defender Leonard Griffin, team captain/sweeper Tony Lawson, leading scorer Matt Taylor at the forward position, and goalkeeper Zach Wells – the College Cup Defensive MVP.
With the loss of graduated seniors Scott Thompson, Jimmy Frazelle and Ryan Futagaki (all were drafted to the MLS), Fitzgerald hopes to see this year’s crop of seniors take command.
“We have a balanced group of seniors this season who should make significant contributions to our team with their leadership and experience,” Fitzgerald said.
Leadership will be the key for the Bruins this season, considering their large incoming class of highly regarded freshman. Many of the rookies hold national team experience, including U.S. Under-17 National Team captain Brandon Owens, a likely replacement for the vacancy at defense left by Thompson. Defender Patrick Ianni will also be on national team duty for the U-20 team, and Kiel McClung is an U-18 pool player.
But though these top recruits will be missing useful pre-season training while playing with the national team, the coaching staff is comfortable that they will be gaining valuable and needed competitive experience.
With their early accolades, the Bruins will face tough competition within their schedule, knowing the nature of teams trying to rout the defending champs.
“You always worry about the pressure,” Fitzgerald said. “Yes, it gives you confidence to look good on paper, but you’re going to be tested for sure. On the field, opponents are ready to play you and knock you down.”
UCLA will start their season with a challenge, opening against Penn State this Friday and then moving onto Ohio State, Maryland and Virginia in the first two weeks. As always, the Pac-10 season will also be difficult, facing NCAA runner-up and long-standing rival Stanford, as well as California and Oregon State.