UCLA Is Seeded No. 1 in Playoffs

UCLA, defending NCAA men’s soccer champion, was seeded No. 1 overall in the 48-team tournament when pairings were announced Monday.

It is the first time that the Bruins (18-1-1) have been seeded first since the NCAA began the format in 1994. UCLA, the Pacific 10 Conference champion, will have a bye in the first round, then will face the winner of the Oakland-Tulsa match in the second round Nov. 26 at Drake Stadium.

Three other area teams made the tournament and all were among the 16 seeded teams that earned first-round byes. Cal State Northridge (14-3-2), which won its first Big West title, will play the winner of Central Florida-Florida International at home.

Loyola Marymount (12-6-1) will play Santa Clara or Southern Methodist after finishing fifth in the West Coast Conference. Big West runner-up UC Santa Barbara (15-4-1) will play the winner of the California-San Jose State match.

UCLA beat Stanford, 1-0, to win the national title last December in Dallas.

-- Eric Stephens