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With conference play looming, the No. 5 women’s soccer team (7-2) has been wracked by injuries and some bad bounces throughout non-conference play.

UCLA has played the entire season without a complete, healthy roster, playing their first four matches without five key players who were participating in international competition with the U.S. Under-20 National Team.

Now, injuries have mounted: The team lost sophomore Kara Lang in the preseason and senior Mary Castelanelli last Sunday against Pepperdine to season-ending knee injuries.

The Bruins will be looking to get through their final two non-conference matches unscathed as they ready themselves for the always-competitive Pac-10 conference.

UCLA will host the University of San Diego (7-3) tonight at 6 p.m. and Gonzaga (5-4-1) at noon on Sunday. The Bruins hold a 12-1-2 all-time edge over the Toreros from San Diego, but have never faced the Gonzaga Zags. Both games will be part of doubleheaders with the men’s team.

“This weekend will be a good test for us,” coach Jill Ellis said. “These games are very important. It’s one more weekend before Pac-10s. We rebounded nicely from (a loss to) Santa Clara with (a win) over Pepperdine. Now the challenge is just to play well.”

These final non-conference games will be the first matches the Bruins will play without Castelanelli captaining the defense. A four-year starter and defensive stalwart, Castelanelli had been a veteran presence flanked by underclassmen.

Now, UCLA will be forced to rely on an extremely young backline likely comprised entirely of freshmen or sophomores. Sophomore Erin Hardy is the most experienced defender remaining, and highly touted freshmen Lauren Wilmoth and Lauren Switzer have already stepped up into starting roles early in the season. All three will be counted on even more to mature rapidly and progress along their respective learning curves.

“We’ll have to adjust,” Hardy said. “We’ve been practicing without (Castelanelli) there. She worked so hard, and everybody looked up to her. All the other players just have to step up.”

Still, Ellis feels her players are more than talented enough to fill the void Castelanelli left. It’s just a matter of how quickly and consistently they will be able to do it.

“We’re deep, we’ve got good players, and we’ll rebound, but just more emotionally it affects you,” Ellis said. “It’s just so sad for these players that can’t play.”

Ellis stressed that focusing on what the team itself can do – namely, push the ball forward to create scoring opportunities, as well as have the young backline playing up to its capability – will be focal points for the Bruins heading into this weekend’s games.

The matchups will provide a glimpse into the future for UCLA as more youth will be forced into the lineup.

“(These games) are important. Every game is important,” said senior captain Bristyn Davis.

“We have a lot of freshmen playing on the field, but everybody is doing really well and working hard in practice,” she said. “We’re bringing them along quickly.”