UCLA tops Mora, Mexico; Carolina and Portland draw

• by Soccer America , Sep 28, 2002

Freshman Stacy Lindstrom set up one goal and scored the next as UCLA's fourth-ranked women's team rallied to beat the Mexican national team, 2-1, Saturday at the Bruins' Drake Stadium.

A thousand miles north, top-ranked North Carolina -- with national-teamers Cat Reddick, Lindsay Tarpley and Lori Chalupny on the field -- played No. 5 Portland to a 0-0 draw at the Pilots' Merlo Field.

In Los Angeles, Bruin freshman Iris Mora scored Mexico's goal in the ninth minute, taking a long pass from W-League MVP Maribel Dominguez, racing past two defenders, then beating goalkeeper Sarah Lombardo.

Whitney Jones nodded in a Lindstrom throw-in less than four minutes later, and Lindstrom netted the winner in the 57th minute, heading home a Nandi Pryce free kick that was flicked on by Jill Oakes.

Lombardo stopped Mora, Mexico's top forward, on an 85th-minute breakaway to secure the victory.

Mexico, preparing for the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, went 1-1 against Southern California college teams this week. It beat Long Beach State, 2-1, on Thursday.

In Portland, the Tar Heels (7-0-2) withstood a furious pressure in overtime to earn a tie with the Pilots (7-2-1) in a rematch of an NCAA College Cup semifinal last year. Carolina goalkeeper Aly Winget made three diving saves on the afternoon.

Tarpley and Chalupny, who had been in the U.S. camp in preparation for Sunday's U.S. Women's Cup opener against Russia in Uniondale, N.Y., were not on April Heinrichs' 18-player tournament roster and returned to the Tar Heels in time for Saturday's match.

Reddick, who is on the U.S. tournament roster, was released by Heinrichs -- a former North Carolina All-American -- to play in the game in Portland.