Prediction Time

I attended every home game this year. The Pilot game style comparison from early season to present is; mediocre mistake style soccer to top level soccer. Having the World Cup players back made a huge difference this season. After that, every players level of play rose as well. The Pilots are gelling right now! UCLA will be up against a very different team on Friday. The Sophie Schmidt target ball with layoff is very dangerous. When Lopez goes forward, teams have no one to mark her. If they do try to mark her, the opposing midfielder gets tired very fast from running back and forth. How about Enyeart? The goal vs Tennessee was wicked! no keeper stops those. From a TV interview with her she stated that she is fired up. She will be. Be prepared for her to cause many problems up front. Those are just a few of the Pilot weapons. I'm sure all of you can think of a lot more Pilot weapons. OK... my prediction..... Pilots 2-- UCLA 0.

2-1 Portland.

I'm with Enyert! I'm feeling really confident about this game. I say it goes 3-0....PILOTS WIN!!

I remember UCLA's mantra from 2005...."Love the Struggle"!!

Okay Bruins...be careful what you ask for...you might just get it!! ....Here comes more of that same for ya! I just don't think they have the mental where-with-all...the mental toughness...to battle with us! We'll score first....they'll start second guessing their game plan....their confidence wilts...they'll chant that mantra again!! Let's help UCLA experience Ground Hog Day...that Bill Murray movie...where they re-live a miserable day over...and over...and over!!!

With each Pilot score...I'll be shouting another Bill Murray line... "Its in the....GOOOOOOOAL!!!!" ...Yes..I know..different sport but...great line...

GO PILOTS!!!

I hate to be a pessimist, but my gut tells me that UCLA is going to benefit from the "12th man." "12th man" being a biased ref. . . Man I hope my gut is wrong! True final score: 2 - 1 Pilots Final Score that gets reported to the NCAA: 2-1 UCLA (controversial golden goal in 2OT)

That's my prediction.

-SciFi

2-1 Pilots.

Prediction of the beer I will be drinking during the game: Kokanee.

2-1. But I won't get to watch the damn game.

wow! good post wally. personally, i think the score will be more like 4-2, pilots. these are two very high power offenses no matter how good the defenses an keepers are, the strength is the offense. an one thing that niggles me is that shannon macmillan is an asst coach for ucla. i know it's been years, but u of p's program hasnt changed in years an years. she might be the 'x' factor. having said that, i still feel good about our girls an a win!

I'd have to disagree about Shannon. I just don't think it'll help them that much. UP teams, compared to this edition were a LOT more one dimensional. Everything went trough Tif, Shannon, Justi, or even Christine. I don't think this team is at all like those- it's much more balanced, and just as deadly.

Look at the last three games
4-0 pasting
1-2 ref theft
1-2 squeaker

both of those last two games were UCLA victories over teams that weren't close to full strength. Right now, we're all here, all healthy, and peaking.


3-0

I think it'll be a low scoring affair. I think the first half is gonna go scoreless then the Pilots score off a defensive mistake in about the 55th minute.

1-0 Pilots

that'd work too.

Gut feeling: 2-1 Pilots. (However, hoping to finish the season with three straight shutouts!)

Have long believed that the best team nearly always wins the big game. We are the best team in the country today, as far as I'm concerned. If we lose, I'm not interested in excuses.

I remember last year this time thinking... man I wish Enyeart was healthy. I dont think that they have ever seen her at full strength. Early in the season she was the only real threat up top to contend with( No offense to Kendra, but she is a little more of a tactician, and less of the homerun threat). Since Sophie moved up top, I think it has made Michelle even more of a threat. I dont know that UCLA has schemed for what Michelle has become, a goalscoring threat that has options to distribute to up top.

SciFi wrote:I hate to be a pessimist, but my gut tells me that UCLA is going to benefit from the "12th man." "12th man" being a biased ref. . . Man I hope my gut is wrong! True final score: 2 - 1 Pilots Final Score that gets reported to the NCAA: 2-1 UCLA (controversial golden goal in 2OT)

That's my prediction.

-SciFi

Hmmmm. . . Pretty damn close. . .

-SciFi

I think it will be a valiant struggle but I'll have to go against my gut and say UCLA will win 3-2 in overtime. I think the Pilots will score first but UCLA will regroup and pull back into the lead. We'll probably not get any help from the ref but some last minute heroics will pull us even. I'll predict we just won't be able to withstand the Bruin's onslaught and a late OT goal (probably by Lang or Adams) will do us in. I hope I'm wrong.

Great sense of humor, decrink. We need a little bit of that at this point in time. Welcome to the forum! Have fun with it. Look forward to your future posts.