UPDATE From the official site - due to bad weather in Midwest today's men's soccer Final- 4 game against UVa has been cancelled and rescheduled for tomorrow at 12:00 pm EST. The Ladies are still on today at 3:30 pm EST. against UNC. GO BRUINS. -N:
While Karl Dorrell just spouts hollow and empty clichés about winning championships his colleagues in Morgan Center actually compete for them. Two Bruin squads - both men's and women's soccer teams - play in the Final-4 tonight and they both will be on ESPN 2. From the LA Times:
Over at UCLA, Jillian Ellis' office is right next door to Jorge Salcedo's, which makes it convenient when the two Bruins soccer coaches want to talk tactics or player management or recruiting strategy.
Or how, this weekend, they each plan to earn UCLA its landmark 100th NCAA team championship -- a national first.
Today in Cary, N.C. (ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.), Ellis' Bruins women play 18-time national champion North Carolina in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
A few hours later, in St. Louis (ESPN2, 3 p.m.), where sub-freezing temperatures are being predicted, Salcedo's Bruins men play five-time champion Virginia in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
A victory by either UCLA team would put it into one of Sunday's finals with the chance to win that milestone No. 100 for the Westwood school. Because of the starting times Sunday, the women's team would have the first chance, but Salcedo is not worried about that.
More from the Daily News on these two teams who do not project the images of losers making excuses of "growing" and "learning.:Or how, this weekend, they each plan to earn UCLA its landmark 100th NCAA team championship -- a national first.
Today in Cary, N.C. (ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.), Ellis' Bruins women play 18-time national champion North Carolina in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
A few hours later, in St. Louis (ESPN2, 3 p.m.), where sub-freezing temperatures are being predicted, Salcedo's Bruins men play five-time champion Virginia in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
A victory by either UCLA team would put it into one of Sunday's finals with the chance to win that milestone No. 100 for the Westwood school. Because of the starting times Sunday, the women's team would have the first chance, but Salcedo is not worried about that.
As the LA Times notes the women's team are competing for the championship with freshmen sensations:
Three players have stood out in 2006: forward Lauren Cheney, who has set UCLA freshman records with 19 goals and eight game-winning goals, plus forward Christina DiMartino and defender Erin Hardy, both sophomores.
All three players, plus forward Danesha Adams and goalkeeper Valerie Henderson, were on the U.S. team that finished fourth at the FIFA Under-20 World Championship in Russia last summer.
While the men's team have made it despite battling with injuries the whole season:
All three players, plus forward Danesha Adams and goalkeeper Valerie Henderson, were on the U.S. team that finished fourth at the FIFA Under-20 World Championship in Russia last summer.
Salcedo has a few standouts of his own, not least of all defender Greg Folk, playmaker Sal Zizzo, midfielder Kyle Nakazawa and forward David Estrada.
Injuries have hit the Bruins hard this season, but Salcedo said the players' "desire to keep going" has made all the difference.
"We've had so many ups and downs with injuries and guys leaving early" to turn professional, he said. "They just come back, put their heads down and work."
Except for Karl Dorrell's 4th place program, you don't hear excuses of inexperience and of injuries coming out of other UCLA athletics programs, ranging from Ben Ball to soccer teams. No excuses. They just make it happen. While Dorrell is out there disgracefully talking about giving Southern Cal a game, Ellis and Salcedo's Bruins are going out there this competing for championships. Like I said below Dorrell ought to be ashamed. Anyways ...Injuries have hit the Bruins hard this season, but Salcedo said the players' "desire to keep going" has made all the difference.
"We've had so many ups and downs with injuries and guys leaving early" to turn professional, he said. "They just come back, put their heads down and work."
Good luck to both our men and women tonight.
GO BRUINS.