UCLA IN TOWN TO PLAY LOBOS

Bruins 6-5, but own big edge in series

The Bruins have owned the all-time series, but it’s goalkeeper Jason Beaulieu and the Lobos who are ranked coming into tonight’s men’s soccer pairing.

There is an adage among some college coaches that says you’d rather play a bad team with a good name than the other way around.

UCLA, with the good name, comes to town to play a heating up New Mexico team in men’s soccer tonight at the UNM Soccer Complex.

Nobody, at all, is saying the Bruins are a bad team. But they come in at 6-5, and of the previous 13 times the Bruins and Lobos have met on the pitch, only once was UCLA unranked.

UCLA owns an 11-2-0 edge in the series. The last meeting was here on Sept. 7, 2014, a 1-0 Lobos’ loss to a top-ranked UCLA squad.

This year, it’s the Lobos who are ranked, having returned to the United Soccer Coaches poll at No. 24. UCLA has a higher Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) at 28 to UNM’s 45, as of Tuesday.

The Lobos (8-3-1) are on a fourmatch win streak and have taken care of business since their lost opening weekend with defeats at Washington and Seattle.

With Saturday’s 2-0 home win over UAB, Lobo senior Jason Beaulieu collected his third shutout of the season, the 20th of his career, and the Lobos (3-11 in league play) moved to within just three points of first place in the Conference USA standings.

Meanwhile, this year’s UCLA has only two seniors. One, Brian Iloski, has 11 points on a teambest five goals and one assist.

“I like this matchup. UCLA is stocked with wonderful players who love to get on the ball and attack. A relatively young group who play into our strengths,” UNM coach Jeremy Fishbein wrote earlier this week. “Going to be action packed!”