Following a 1-0 home loss to Cal on Oct. 2, the UA’s soccer team sat at 3-5-2. The Wildcats were dead last in the Pac-12 Conference standings, with all hopes of a postseason berth fading away.
Coach Becca Moros didn’t panic.
“We’ve got to keep pushing, and I think the biggest thing is that we’ve got to bear down and keep believing in what we’re doing,” she told ArizonaWildcats.com after the loss. “Sometimes these things happen where you can’t quite string all of your best minutes together. ... Overall, there have been a lot of positives in the last couple of games. ... The momentum, the energy, the fight, the grit — that willingness to come together and believe is there. If we invest in that and continue to foster and grow that in each other, we have an opportunity to turn around and put that belief in.”
Sure enough, the Wildcats have caught fire, going 4-1-1 over their last six matches. Sunday, the UA (7-6-3, 4-4-1) will host Oregon at 1 p.m.; the Wildcats’ regular-season finale is scheduled for Friday in Tempe.
Junior Nicole Dallin believes the positive, hard-working culture within the program is starting to pay dividends. She said there is “no doubt” the Wildcats will “win out” the rest of the season and challenge for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament.
“Of course, every team in the Pac-12 deserves respect. But we’re not here to mess around, we’re here to play,” she said. “I don’t think any of these teams stand a chance.”
The Wildcats’ hot streak began Oct. 6, when Dallin scored the only goal in Arizona’s 1-0 upset win over No. 8 USC in Los Angeles. It was the first goal of the season for Dallin, who credits her teammates for fostering a great environment and remaining thankful for her health.
“Last year, I would have just been coming back from injury, and my freshman year, I didn’t play at all because of the same injury,” she said. “So just being able to focus on my fitness and the physical aspects that soccer demands, especially at the collegiate level, that’s really helped me to be able to give my all to the team.”
Two days later, Arizona fell 1-0 to top-ranked UCLA on a late goal by the Bruins. The Wildcats returned home, where they beat Colorado 2-0. Last weekend was spent in the Pacific Northwest, where they beat Washington 1-0 before forging a 0-0 tie with Washington State in Pullman.
Dallin and the UA saved their biggest offensive performance for Thursday, when they beat Oregon State 3-2 at Mulcahy Stadium. Dallin delivered goals in the 16th and 28th minutes. Despite being the lowest-scoring team in the Pac-12, Arizona is outscoring its opponents 7-3 since Oct. 6. Dallin leads the Wildcats in goals (four) and points (8).
The Wildcats are now pushing for the postseason, which would be the eighth in program history and the first for Moros, who is making remarkable strides in her second season. The Wildcats went just 5-13 overall and 2-9 in league play a year ago.
