Palos Verdes Estates' Nakazawa Creates UCLA Winner Over UCSB, Sends Bruins Through to NCAA Quarterfinals
Goalkeeper Brian Perk also made two big second half saves in the 2-1 come from behind win Sunday at Drake Stadium.
Notable: The game was a rematch of the 2006 NCAA Championship - won by UC Santa Barbara.
Quotable:
"We have a pretty big core of seniors on our team, and it was in the back of our heads tonight," said playmaker Kyle Nakazawa. "It is a bit of redemption ... with a way better ending."
Next: No. 6 seed UCLA (12-3-4) faces No. 3 seed Wake Forest (16-3-3) Saturday in Winston-Salem.
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
Perk was a beast last night and he needed to be because UCLA was bunkered down in the second half after taking a 2-1 lead into halftime.
Had to miss the game but did the Gauchos fans show up in good numbers? I see the attendence was listed at about 2500 which is better than usual for them.
It used to be a lot more fun watching UCLA play at the cozy North Athlectic field (above the parking structure now) in the old days. Drake stadium sucks with the narrow field and the running track. Even the football practice field was better than Drake Stadium. It's amazing how the UCLA student body ignores their soccer team. They should be rivaling UCSB.
There were more Gauchos than Bruins at the match. if attendance was 2500 about 2000 were UCSB fans. Great atmosphere though.