• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Photo

Freshman Kamani Hill and the No. 6 Bruins hope to extend their win streak to five games when they

In UCLA’s upcoming match against UC Irvine, the biggest challenge for the Bruins will be mental. The Bruins are in the middle of a crucial series of Pac-10 games and will take a break from conference play to face the lowly Anteaters (6-8-0) Saturday night. What UCLA is trying to avoid is a mental lapse. “It will test the focus of the team,” freshman forward Kamani Hill said. “We have had four straight games against four ranked opponents. They’ve been big-time games, and Irvine is not as serious of an opponent.” Those four straight games were the impressive back-to-back sweeps against Stanford and California that ultimately catapulted the Bruins to No. 6 in the nation. With a game against Washington, the only conference team to have beaten UCLA this season, just over one week away, Hill and the Bruins seem to be focusing their attention on the conference leader rather than the Anteaters. “It doesn’t hold the same interest for us as the game against Washington,” said Hill, referring to Saturday’s game. “In the middle of the season, it is hard for us to get excited for (the Irvine game).” But if anything, the Bruins can use this match at Anteater Stadium as a tune-up for the coming weeks. The offense came alive last weekend when sophomore Chad Barrett emphatically ended his offensive slump with two goals and an assist. Meanwhile, the defense has maintained a solid 0.88 goals scored against average. With everything clicking, the Bruins (9-2-2, Pac-10 5-1-0) have their sights set much higher than just a Pac-10 title. They want the national championship. “If we lost to Irvine, it is still going to affect us and our ranking going into the playoffs,” senior defender Aaron Lopez said. “That’s what we’re really concerned about.” “We realize what’s at stake in games like this,” coach Jorge Salcedo added. “Through our hard work we have the opportunity to be the No. 1 team in the West. We have to win the last five games on our schedule.” The Bruins have the overwhelming edge going into the game, leading the overall series 13-2, but the Anteaters have shown that they enjoy playing the role of spoiler. Irvine beat then-No. 2 Santa Barbara last weekend and defeated then-No. 20 Portland earlier in the season. But, coupled with these impressive wins have been losses to teams such as UC Riverside. “They have everything to gain and we have everything to lose,” Salcedo said. “But our destiny is up to us.”

BROTHERS FACE OFF: Junior midfielder Ramon Manak will be seeing a familiar face when he looks at his opponents this weekend. His brother Damon Manak, who is in his first season with the Anteaters, is a defender for Irvine. Both brothers have recorded one goal this season.