UCLA Closes Regular Season at USC Friday Night at Coliseum

#1 UCLA at USC
@Los Angeles Coliseum
Friday, Nov. 7 - 7:30 pm PT
TV - Pac-12 Networks (Christian Miles, Krista Blunk)
Live Stats - usctrojans.com
Twitter - @UCLAWSoccer | #UCLAvsUSC | #onegoal112
Tickets - $5 adults, $3 groups (10+)

Bruins Look to Win Pac-12 Title Outright
Top-ranked UCLA (17-0-2, 9-0-1 in the Pac-12) will wrap up the regular season at USC (12-5-2, 6-4-0) Friday night at the Coliseum. The game will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks at 7:30pm. The Bruins clinched the Pac-12’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament and at least a share of the Pac-12 title but can win the conference title outright with a victory at USC or a Stanford loss or tie on Thursday at Cal.

Pac-12 Champions
UCLA’s 6-0 win at Washington Sunday clinched the Bruins’ 11th Pac-12 Conference title. UCLA previously won in 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2013.

SoCal BMW Crosstown Cup Showdown
Ten points will be up for grabs in the SoCal BWM Crosstown Cup, a year-long all-sport competition between UCLA and USC. The winner of the season series in each of the 19 sports the two schools compete in receives 10 points towards the final total. UCLA is currently leading by a score of 15-10 after the Bruin men's water polo team won their second match of the season against the Trojans.

New Shutout Streak
The Bruins started the season with a six-game shutout streak and head into the season finale on a new six-game shutout streak. The two shutout streaks give goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland a share of the school record for single-season consecutive shutouts with CiCi Peterson, who also had six in 2000. UCLA has outscored its opponents 24-0 during this six-game shutout streak.

In the Rankings
For the 12th-straight week, UCLA is No. 1 across all major polls (NSCAA, Soccer America and Top Drawer Soccer). USC is ranked No. 22 by Soccer America.

National Leaders
Not only does UCLA hold the No. 1 national ranking, but the Bruins are also ranked No. 1 in the nation in several statistical categories - goals against average (0.206), shutout percentage (0.789), winning percentage (0.947) and save percentage (0.913). Goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland continues to lead the nation in goals against average with a 0.206 mark. She also ranks second in save percentage (0.913). Sam Mewis ranks in the Top 25 in many offensive categories, ranking sixth in game winning goals (6), seventh in total points (7), 11th in points per game (2.05), 13th in total assists (13), 18th in assists per game (0.58), 20th in total goals (14) and 25th in goals per game (0.737).

Bruins Sweep Through Washington
The Bruins earned another pair of road shutouts last weekend, defeating Washington State, 1-0, and Washington, 6-0. Taylor Smith scored the game-winning goals in both games, and Caprice Dydasco tied the school record for single-game assists by tallying three at Washington. Also at Washington, Sam Mewis contributed a goal and two assists, freshman Gabrielle Matulich netted her first collegiate goal, and goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland tied her season-high by making six saves in the shutout win.

A Look at the Trojans
USC is coming off a weekend sweep in Washington, defeating Washington 2-1 and Washington State 1-0 to extend their winning streak to four games. Katie Johnson, who netted both game-winners, and Caroline Stanley, who earned the shutout against WSU, were named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and Goalkeeper of the Week, respectively.

UCLA is 21-5-1 all-time against USC and won last year’s game, 4-1, behind a one-goal, three-assist performance by Sam Mewis. The Bruins, however, have not won at USC since 2008.

Numbers and Streaks
UCLA is unbeaten in its last 40 games, its last loss coming Sept. 6, 2013 against North Carolina, 1-0, in Durham, N.C. … The 40-game unbeaten streak is a new school record, breaking the record of 25 set between 2011 and 2012, and the sixth-best streak in NCAA history … UCLA has a 25-game unbeaten streak at home, the 18th-longest home unbeaten streak in NCAA history. The Bruins’ last home loss came Oct. 28, 2012 against Stanford (2-1) … The Bruins had a seven-game, 772-minute shutout streak end on Sept. 12 against Wake Forest … UCLA has shut out 20 of its last 25 opponents … UCLA has outscored its last six opponents, 24-0, and has scored 26 unanswered goals since allowing a 53rd minute goal to Stanford on Oct. 9 … Sam Mewis has a goal or assist in 15 of 19 games this season but had a seven-game streak snapped at WSU … Sarah Killion has a goal or assist in 11 of 19 games this season … The Bruins have scored 10 goals in the first 15 minutes of play this year, including six in the first 10 minutes … Twenty-three of 32 players on the roster have national team experience.

Record-Setting Rowland
Goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland has been rewriting the record books at UCLA. She has twice tied the school record for consecutive shutouts in a single-season with six (Aug. 22-Sept. 7 and Oct. 13-present). Her consecutive shutout minutes in a single season record of 638 is also in jeopardy, as she currently has a streak of 577 minutes. Additionally, Rowland tied her own school record of 15 shutouts in a season, also set in 2013. With a school-record 51 career shutouts, Rowland is just one shutout away from tying the NCAA record of 52 set by Wisconsin’s Heather Taggart (1988-91).

Mewis, Killion Climbing Career Charts
Senior midfielders Sam Mewis and Sarah Killion are rapidly climbing up the UCLA career lists for assists and points. Mewis has 29 goals, 30 assists (tied for third), 10 game-winning goals (10th) and 88 points (tied for sixth). Killion is tied with Mewis and Christina DiMartino for third on the career assist list with 30. The next assist by either Mewis or Killion will move them into a tie for second. Mewis’ 11 assists this season are tied for fifth on the single-season list, and Killion’s 10 are tied for eighth. Both Bruins have a share of the school record for single-game assists with three (also matched by Caprice Dydasco on Sunday).

Stifling Defense
Not only has UCLA shut out 15 of 19 opponents this year, but the team has allowed just 46 shots on goal all season. The Bruins have held three of their opponents to one shot or less and to just 102 shots all season (5.4 average). Twenty-eight of their last 31 opponents have been held to single-digit shot totals.

White Wins Golden Ball at World Cup Qualifying
Senior Rosie White won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player at the OFC Women’s Nations Cup as New Zealand won the tournament and earned a spot in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. White scored three goals in the tournament as the Football Ferns went 3-0. After missing three games for the Bruins during the tournament, she rejoined the squad at Washington and recorded an assist and helped contribute to the own goal in the second half.

Playing for Change
The Bruins raised $2800 in donations for Soccer Without Borders last month through t-shirt sales at their Oct. 5 youth soccer clinic and subsequent home games. Fellow non-profit organization Positive Tracks matched the donation, making it a grand total of $5600 raised. The fundraiser was spearheaded by senior co-captain Sam Mewis. UCLA also wrapped up an online auction for their white and pink jerseys, with proceeds going towards cancer research and awareness.

Killion Named Finalist for Senior CLASS Award
Senior Sarah Killion have been selected as a finalist for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award. The award honors student-athletes for their accomplishments both on and off the field. Fan voting takes place at seniorclassaward.com.

Killion, a midfielder from Fort Wayne, Ind., is one of UCLA’s top student-athletes, majoring in Psychology and holding a GPA of 3.7. She is also set to graduate early in Fall 2014. Killion is a first-team NSCAA Scholar All-American and Scholar All-West Region honoree, a two-time Capital One Academic All-District second-team recipient and a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection. This season, she ranks second on the UCLA team in scoring with 24 points off seven goals and 10 assists. She currently ranks 21st in the nation in assists and is on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. In 2013, she led the Pac-12 in assists with 12, the third-highest total in UCLA history. She currently ranks third on the school’s career list with 30. Killion earned a call-up to the full U.S. Women’s National Team for the Algarve Cup in March and is also a regular with the U.S. Under-23 National Team.

Four Bruins on Watch List
Four Bruins have been named to the 2014 MAC Hermann Watch List, the most among any team in the nation. UCLA’s nominees are defender Abby Dahlkemper, forward Darian Jenkins, midfielder Sarah Killion and goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland. This is the third time Dahlkemper has been named to the Watch List and the first for Jenkins, Killion and Rowland. Dahlkemper was a finalist in 2013.

Senior Strong
UCLA’s senior class is the heart of the Bruin team, nine strong and keepers of a 73-5-11 career record. The class came in as the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation in 2011 and has more than lived up to its billing, leading the Bruins to the 2013 NCAA and Pac-12 Championships.

Eight of the nine seniors - Ally Courtnall, Abby Dahlkemper, Caprice Dydasco, Sarah Killion, Sam Mewis, Megan Oyster, Katelyn Rowland and Rosie White - are regular starters. The other - Kylie McCarthy - has played in 13 games this year, with four starts and three goals and two assists. Three (Dahlkemper, Killion and Rowland) are on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List and are returning All-Americans. Dahlkemper is the reigning Honda Award winner. Four (Defensive MVP Courtnall, Killion, Oyster and Rowland) were named to the 2013 College Cup All-Tournament team. Two (Killion and Mewis) were called up to the full U.S. Women’s National Team this winter for the Algarve Cup, four (Dahlkemper, Dydasco, Killion, Mewis) played with the U.S. Under-23 team this summer, Rowland started for the U.S. Under-20s at the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup, and White is a regular with the New Zealand Women’s National Team, having played at the 2011 World Cup and 2012 Olympic Games for the Football Ferns.

Eight Bruins Ranked in Midseason Top 100
Eight of UCLA’s starters are on Top Drawer Soccer’s Top 100 list - No. 2 Abby Dahlkemper, No. 3 Sarah Killion, No. 6 Sam Mewis, No. 15 Katelyn Rowland, No. 44 Taylor Smith, No. 57 Darian Jenkins, No. 69 Ally Courtnall and No. 90 Caprice Dydasco.

Mew’s Views Returns
Senior midfielder Sam Mewis is back with her weekly blog Mew’s Views. Get her inside stories about the 2014 Bruins every Thursday on UCLABruins.com.

UCLA Head Coach Amanda Cromwell
Soccer America’s National Coach of the Year Amanda Cromwell has not skipped a beat in her second season in Westwood, keeping the Bruins unbeaten in 2014 with a 17-0-2 record. Coupled with last season’s 22-1-3 mark, Cromwell is 39-1-5 as head coach at UCLA, a winning percentage of 0.922.

One would be hard-pressed to find a coach who made as big of an impact in her first season as Cromwell. Eight months after being hired on Apr. 12, 2013 as the fifth head coach in UCLA women’s soccer history, Cromwell led her team to the program’s first-ever NCAA Championship. With 262 career victories and a .707 winning percentage, Cromwell currently ranks among the top-25 winningest coaches in NCAA history. NCAA Selection Show With UCLA’s place in the NCAA Tournament already secured, all that is needed are the Bruins’ opponents. The remaining teams and the matchups will be revealed on the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 10 at 1:30pm PT at ncaa.com.