UCLA men to open NCAA soccer playoffs at home

The UCLA men’s soccer team, which reached the national title game last season, returns to the NCAA tournament Thursday, when the Bruins play host to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at 7 p.m. at Drake Stadium.

Thursday’s game will mark the 33rd consecutive appearance in the NCAA championships for UCLA (10-8-1, 5-4-1 in the Pac-12).

“The NCAA tournament is the best part of the year. Everyone has the same goal, but only one team will be happy [at the end],” said UCLA Coach Jorge Salcedo, who has been to the NCAA final four times as a Bruins coach and player but has come away happy just twice.

Also playing in the first round of the men’s tournament Thursday will be Cal State Fullerton, which hosts Santa Clara at 7 p.m., while UC Santa Barbara gets a bye to the second round where it will play an opponent to be determined at home.

On the women’s side USC, a first-round winner over Cal State Fullerton, will play Princeton in the second round in Charottesville, Va., while Loyola-Marymount will meet Minnesota in Morgantown, W. Va. Both games will be played Friday. Long Beach State also made the tournament but lost its first game to Santa Clara.

In some ways, the Bruins should be happy just to be in the tournament, where they will play as an at-large invitee after finishing second in the conference and 25th in the NSCAA Coaches Poll.

One of the nation’s most-decorated programs with 14 appearances in the Final Four and nine in the NCAA final, UCLA started slowly this season, losing four of its first six games. It then stumbled again at the finish, winning only three of its final six.

Yet despite their record, the Bruins have one of the most formidable offenses in the country, averaging 2.37 goals a game. And behind Seyi Adekoya (12 goals), Jose Hernandez (11) and Abu Danladi (six goals, 10 assists) they are just one of three Division I teams to have three players with 20-plus points (two points per goal, one per assist). All three made the all-conference team, with Mexico City native Hernandez also winning honors as the Pac-12 freshman of the year.

UCLA beat Cal Poly 4-1 at Drake Stadium in the teams’ only previous meeting this season, one of just four losses for the Mustangs, who finished 11-4-5. But Salcedo said history means little in the postseason.

“Our regular-season game versus Cal Poly has no effect on the tournament game this Thursday,” he said. “The playoffs are a different season, and we will prepare for a team that has had a very good year. Our guys are excited to get the tournament started.”

The winner of Thursday’s game will go on the road to face No. 11 Seattle University on Sunday.