UCLA was ranked No. 1 in the
Soccer America Preseason Women's Top 25, in part because of its considerable depth, but
the Bruins were depleted when they headed to No. 8 Penn State for Friday's opener at the Penn State Invitational.
Depth helped UCLA reach the Women's College Cup final the last two years.
"Our philosophy," Bruin coach
Jillian Ellis told the
Los Angeles Daily News, "is that if we can
maximize every player on our roster, it will just keep pushing us higher."
But the Bruins, who are ranked No. 1 by Soccer America for the first time, are missing five players in
Russia for the U-20 Women's World Championship:
Danesha Adams,
Erin Hardy,
Tina
DiMartino,
Val Henderson and freshman
Lauren Cheney.
Ellis, who has guided UCLA to three straight
final four appearances and four in the last six years, could have available as few as only two starters from the team that lost to Portland, 4-0, in last year's Women's College Cup final.
Iris Mora and
Jill Oakes graduated, Canada star
Kara Lang was lost for the
year with a knee injury, and
Mary Castelanelli and
McCall Zerboni were among several returnees battling injuries in
preseason. That left only defender
Bristyn Davis and midfielder
Stacey Lindstrom, both seniors, certain for the
opener against Penn State.
UCLA's 2006 freshman class will need to make an immediate impact. In addition to Cheney, the Bruins feature several players with extensive international
experience, including
Lauren Wilmoth and
Lauren Switzer, who will likely start in the back. Indiana transfer
Molly Kruger could see a lot of playing time in midfield.
VIDEO:
UCLA coach Jillian Ellis on the No. 1 Bruins WOMEN'S ATTRACTIONS
" No. 2 Portland travels to Florida for games against No. 24
Florida Friday and No. 5 Florida State Sunday.
" No. 3 North Carolina opens at No. 9 Texas A&M before heading to Dallas to face Conference-USA favorite SMU Sunday.