UCLA Official Athletic Site - Women's Soccer
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Dec. 1, 1997
UCLA Ends Season 19-3-0 — The 1997 UCLA women's soccer team finished its
best season in the program's five year history this past weekend,
recording a 19-3-0 record. The Bruins' season was ended in the
quarterfinals of the NCAA playoffs, as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
handed UCLA an 8-0 defeat. Despite the tough ending to the 1997 season,
the Bruins had an outstanding year. The team went 9-0 in the Pac-10 to
win its first ever Pac-10 title. The team recorded a school record
twelve game win streak to close out the season. The Bruins recorded
their first ever playoff win in their 1-0 defeat over Portland and
advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in school history. The
team received the highest ranking in school history, finding themselves
at No. 11 on the Soccer News poll twice this season. The Bruins finish
the season tied for fifth in the nation.
UCLA's Season Ended By No. 2 Notre Dame — The No. 2 seed Notre Dame
(23-0-1) handed UCLA an 8-0 defeat in the quarterfinals of the NCAA
playoffs. The Irish lead the nation in goals scored, with 12 players in
double figures in scoring, three of which have 50 points or more. Notre
Dame, the 1995 National Champions, advance to the Final Four for the
fourth straight year.
UCLA's Playoff Run – The 1997 UCLA Bruins had an excellent playoff run
this season, recording their first win and making their first appearance
in the quarterfinals. The Bruins began the postseason with a big win
over No. 7 seed Portland. UCLA recorded its first win in the NCAA
playoffs when it handed the Pilots a 1-0 defeat. UCLA joined Notre Dame
as the only two schools to hand Portland a home playoff loss. UCLA
forced the Pilots out of the first round for the first time in five
years. The Bruins traveled next to the Lone Star State to take on the
SMU Mustangs in Dallas, TX. UCLA handed the Mustangs a 3-2 defeat,
earning the team a spot in the quarterfinals. The Bruins next faced the
No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in South Bend, ID. The Bruins played
hard, but were unable to stop the number one scoring team in the nation,
as the Irish defeated UCLA 8-0. Despite the tough ending, UCLA's playoff
run did not only make history, but also capped off the best season the
five year program has ever had.
Pac-10 Champions — The UCLA women's soccer team won its first-ever
Pac-10 championship this season, finishing conference play with a
perfect 9-0 record. The Bruins became the first team in Pac-10 history
to go 9-0 in conference play. For their outstanding play in the Pac-10
and the overall season, the Bruins were rewarded handsomely. Head coach
Joy Fawcett was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year, leading UCLA to its
first Pac-10 title. Senior forward Traci Arkenberg was named Pac-10
Player of the Year, leading the Pac-10 in points and goals scored.
Freshman midfielder Sommer Hammoud was named Pac-10 Freshman of the
Year. Arkenberg and seniors Shannon Thomas and Rhi Tanaka were named to
the first-team All-Pac-10 team, while Sommer Hammoud and sophomore
midfielder Beth Thompson received second-team All-Pac-10 honors.
History Making — The 1997 season was a record breaking season for the
Bruins. The team won more games than any other Bruin squad, posting a
school best 19-3-0. The Bruins enjoyed a 12 game win streak, also a
school record. The Bruins broke virtually ever scoring record at UCLA.
Individually, forward Traci Arkenberg and goalkeeper Lindsay Culp broke
a few records themselves.