Non-Revenue Sports Bruin Review and Calendar

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 23, 2009 1:04 AM PST

Freshman Chandler Hoffman scored the game-winning goal in his first NCAA Tournament match (Photo Credit: Official Site)

Women's Soccer

The first-seeded Bruins were all set to face Virginia in what has become an every other year NCAA Tournament game. After beating the Cavaliers in the 2005 and 2007 NCAA Tournaments, the two took to the field again last Friday night with a spot in the NCAA Quarterfinals on the line. It only took until the fourth minute for the Bruins to get on the board when Dea Cook scored off of an inch perfect corner played in by Lauren Barnes. After that, Sydney Leroux tallied twice to beat the Cavs, 3-0. Leroux's two goals gave her eight on the postseason, a UCLA record just three matches in and it also gave her 23 goals on the year, tying the single season mark set by Lauren Cheney as a sophomore. Cheney, now a senior, picked up an assist on Leroux's first goal and is now tied for the school record for points in a career. UCLA will now play second-seeded Portland in the Quarterfinals on Saturday at 5 pm PST. The match-up has become the west coast's top rivalry that has produces a series of intense and ultra-competitive matches. This edition of the rivalry will be hosted by UCLA at Drake Stadium and the winner will advance to the College Cup.

Men's Soccer

Since advancing to the National Championship Match in 2006, the Bruins had not made it out of the NCAA Tournament's second round. That changed when UCLA, seeded sixth and recipients of a first round bye, defeated Sacramento St. at Drake Stadium, 2-1. The scoring started in the 31st minute when David Estrada was brought down in the box and earned a penalty kick, which was converted by Kyle Nakazawa. In the 75th minue, Sacramento St. equalized, but it took only five more before Hoffman Chandler got on the end of a cross and finished for the game-winning goal. Next up for the Bruins is a Round of 16 match-up versus unseeded UC Santa Barbara in a rematch of the 2006 title game. That match is scheduled for Sunday at 5 pm PST at Drake Stadium.

Former UCLA keeper Nick Rimando won MLS Cup MVP honors as his Real Salt Lake team beat the LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup. The match, which went to penalty kicks, was the second consecutive penalty kick win for Rimando after he was victorious a week earlier in the conference championship match that went to penalties.

Women's Volleyball

#7 UCLA entered the weekend just a half game out of the Pac-10 lead, but following the weekend, might as well kiss their conference title hopes good bye. The weekend began with an easy win at Oregon St., 25-20, 25-23, 25-16. The weekend's next match, the Bruins' final road match of the regular season, went much longer, was much tougher and had a much different result. #18 Oregon battled back from a UCLA 2-0 set advantage to defeat the Bruins in five sets and drop UCLA to 21-8 overall and 11-5 in the Pac-10. Now, the Bruins must win both of their matches versus the Arizona schools this weekend at home, while also getting a Cal win over Stanford and at least one win from one of the Oregon schools over Washington. That would put the Bruins into a tie, with tiebreakers I don't feel like figuring out right now.

Women's Basketball

After a rocky start to open the year, coach Nikki Caldwell's team got back on the winning track last week. A school-tying record 12 three-pointers paced the Bruins as they thrashed Hawai'i, 98-52, in a game where freshman Markel Walker's 12 points, 12 rebounds and eight steals left her just two steals shy of a triple-double. In their next game, it was all defense as UCLA held Utah to 24% shooting and 33 points in the Bruins' 69-33 win. Now 3-1, UCLA will host Princeton on Wednesday, then play at #5 Tennessee on Saturday in a game that will be shown on Fox Sports South.

Women's Swimming and Diving

At the Toshiba Classic, the Bruins finished third overall, behind Cal and Stanford.

Cross Country

Shannon Murakami and Marco Anzures received berths to the NCAA Championships and will be the lone Bruins in competition on Monday.

Men's Volleyball

In the SAC Tournament, hosted by UCLA, the Bruins took two of their three matches. The Bruins lost to UC Santa Barbara, but beat Cal Baptist and Cal St. Northridge.

Men's Water Polo

The MPSF Tournament begins on Friday at USC with the Bruins playing Pepperdine. Because only four teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament, UCLA will need at least a MPSF Tournament Final appearance to have a chance at a NCAA Tournament bid and may need to win it.

Softball

A pair of victories, one over Biola and one over College of the Canyons, ended the Bruins' fall slate.

Baseball

The Blue team swept the Gold in the Blue-Gold World Series. I'll have a couple pieces that include quotes from Coach Savage in the next couple weeks.

Calendar (all times pacific)
Monday, November 23
Cross Country, NCAA Championships, All Day- Terre Haute, IN
Wednesday, November 25
Women's Basketball vs. Princeton, 7:00 pm- Pauley Pavilion
Friday, November 27
Men's Water Polo vs. Pepperdine (MPSF Tourney), 3:00 pm- Los Angeles, CA
Women's Volleyball vs. Arizona, 3:00 pm- Pauley Pavilion
Saturday, November 28
Women's Basketball at Tennessee, 12:00 pm- Knoxville, TN, TV: Fox Sports South
Women's Volleyball vs. Arizona St., 3:00 pm- Pauley Pavilion
Women's Soccer vs. Portland (NCAA Quarters), 5:00 pm- Drake Stadium
Men's Water Polo vs. TBA (MPSF Tourney Semis), TBA- Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, November 29
Men's Soccer vs. UCSB (NCAA Round of 16), 5:00 pm- Drake Stadium
Men's Water Polo vs. TBA (MPSF Tourney Final), TBA- Los Angeles, CA

Ticket information for all sports can be found here while facility information and directions for all sports can be found here. GO BRUINS!!!

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Comments

I want to know

who in the athletic department decided that Saturday at 5 pm is a good time to play the HUGE and massively entertaining NCAA women’s soccer quarterfinal game? This way anybody who is going to the football game or wants to be home in time to watch the game, can’t go to the soccer match. Well done Morgan Center.

Formerly ryebreadraz

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 23, 2009 1:16 AM PST reply actions

+ 1

We have three possible days to play it, so of course we choose the one that also happens to have just about the biggest UCLA sporting event of the year. Great way to guarantee an even lower attendance by UCLA fans. Add in the fact that Portland fans travel reasonably well, and it might even turn into a de facto road game. Utterly ridiculous.

by jaffa on Nov 23, 2009 1:55 AM PST up reply actions

What the hell???

Idiotic! What the A.D. should be doing is starting the soccer game no later than noon and then encouraging fans to go to a “double header” by offering better seats, transportation, free food, a t shirt or something to students who go to the Crapaseeum and show their soccer tix. FAIL!

by orlandobruin on Nov 23, 2009 4:37 AM PST up reply actions

+1

This is such a no-brainer, it makes you wonder what they were thinking. This is a team that has a legitimate shot at a championship, and this will be the last game they play at home—and the last game in Westwood for Lauren Cheney, one of the best soccer players to come out of the program. J.D. Morgan, that impresario extraordinaire (and long-time tennis coach, so a supporter of nonrevenue sports), must be spinning at the center named for him.

by Herodotus on Nov 23, 2009 5:10 AM PST up reply actions

Every other Quarterfinal game

is on Friday. Nobody else is playing Saturday, but we are. Florida St. is playing their game on Friday at 2 pm local time so there’s clearly no issue with playing them during the day either. The Morgan Center dropped the ball AGAIN.

Formerly ryebreadraz

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 23, 2009 11:03 AM PST up reply actions

North Carolina is playing theirs at 2 pm as well

Stanford’s will be at 7 pm, and apparently they’ve already sold out their 2,200 seat stadium.

by jaffa on Nov 23, 2009 6:10 PM PST up reply actions

Agreed 100%

Terrible planning, no excuse for that. There are 3 options that make sense:

1) Play Friday night
2) Play Saturday afternoon (possibly with shuttle to USC promotion)
3) Play Sunday as doubleheader with men’s soccer

But Saturday at 5pm? That’s ridiculous.

by gilbert on Nov 23, 2009 11:58 AM PST up reply actions

All three of your suggestions sound great to me

Any of those and I’m there. Saturday during the day would be the best because there can’t be any conflict with basketball that day either.

Formerly ryebreadraz

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 23, 2009 12:18 PM PST up reply actions

I've complained to the athletic department

Their responses seem to say that

1) Travel and practice issues make Friday impossible (no matter that everyone else is doing it, and that we did it 2005-2007)
2) They thought the SC game would be in the afternoon when they originally planned this game
3) Time demands, and wanting two night games (and two gates) make a doubleheader on Sunday awkward.

by jaffa on Nov 23, 2009 6:16 PM PST up reply actions

The UCLA/SC game has been scheduled at 7 for months

As you mentioned, everyone else is playing Friday and one day and one night game Sunday, even with two gates would be preferable. The Morgan Center dropped the ball…again. Their excuses are almost as bad as the students who “couldn’t” go to the football game Saturday. Wait, theirs are worse because this is their job.

Formerly ryebreadraz

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Nov 23, 2009 6:27 PM PST up reply actions

Women's Basketball

Normally I would root for the Bruins even over my Princeton Tigers (if we ever met in the tourney again, Pton already got their win over UCLA), but not this week. I am the color commentator for the Princeton women’s basketball team (along with the Men and Women’s hockey teams) and its been fun watching them. They have almost zero shot of beating our Bruins but they are a much improved team. They are pretty hot from three point land, where they’ll probably be shooting a lot from since UCLA has a height advantage inside. On the other hand we just beat Delaware who has Elena Della Donne, the number one recruit in the country two years ago

"Beating USC isn't a matter of life and death, it's more important than that" -Red Sanders-

by PrincetonBruin on Nov 23, 2009 1:38 AM PST reply actions