Five starters or not, UCLA has a gaggle of national team players and boasts a top 5 recruiting class each year so it’s a mute point. What I saw was a team that was in much better condition than UCLA and one that exploited some weaknesses. Two players in particular for UCLA really stood out though; Sheehan and the other Canadian, Flynn. I know that I am biased but, Sheehan was EVERYWHERE and very difficult to move off the ball. Her ability to move in tight spaces and create space is tremendous. Flynn‘s defense is phenomenal and the few times I thought a Pepp player managed to take the ball away from her or block her off the ball, she managed to get it back.
No doubt UCLA will be better come fall but like I said in an earlier post, Pepperdine should not be overlooked as they are playing some of the best team soccer I have seen in a while and will definitely not miss the tournament this year. Barring injury, I see a deep run as well.