WOMEN'S SOCCER: UCLA FAILS TO FILL IN THE BLANKS BRUINS ROUTED BY PORTLAND IN NCAA FINAL.

Byline: Scott French Staff Writer

Only North Carolina, in its dominant 2003 run, had shut down six NCAA Tournament opponents, surrendering nothing en route to a Division I women's soccer title. On Sunday, UCLA stood 90 minutes from matching the Tar Heels.

That aim lasted less than two minutes, and the Bruins' championship hopes not much longer. Angie Woznuk scored 96 seconds into the title game, Christine Sinclair added two more first-half goals and Megan Rapinoe netted another in the closing minutes as top-ranked Portland claimed its second NCAA crown in four seasons with a 4-0 romp at Aggie Soccer Stadium in College Station, Texas.

The Pilots (23-0-2), joining 18-time champion North Carolina and Notre Dame as the only teams with more than one national title, used width and UCLA defensive errors to their advantage, dominating the Bruins much like UCLA had dominated its tournament opposition in reaching the final for the third time.

``Four-zero is a tough pill to swallow ...,'' UCLA coach Jillian Ellis said. ``We finished our chances (in the semifinal) Friday night and Portland didn't. Today, Portland finished their chances. (Danesha Adams) had a chance early and didn't finish. From that point on, things were not going our way.''

Woznuk, a budding U.S. national team star whose brother, Joe, played two seasons at UCLA, beat goalkeeper Valerie Henderson from Rapinoe's feed after Lindsey Huie stripped Bruins midfielder Stacy Lindstrom, then assisted on Sinclair's 22nd-minute strike and Rapinoe's goal in the 77th.

UCLA (22-2-2), which was beaten on penalty kicks by Notre Dame in last year's final, had no answer for Woznuk, who feasted on space on the left flank as Adams, the Bruins' top scorer, surged forward.

It led to the first two goals, with Woznuk expertly placing the first inside the right post, then racing into the UCLA box and dropping the ball back to Sinclair, whose top-of-the- box blast hit Bruins defender Jill Oakes at the right post en route to the net.

``To score a goal (in the second minute),'' Woznuk said, ``makes the other team question a little bit what they are capable of.''

Sinclair, a Canadian national team star who scored both goals in Portland's 2002 title-game triumph over Santa Clara, whirled past right back Bristyn Davis to finish Natalie Budge's cross-box roller in the 42nd minute for a 3-0 halftime lead, and it was more or less over.

``We've got world-class players that are world-class finishers,'' said Portland coach Garrett Smith, Clive Charles' chief assistant when the Pilots won in 2002. ``It's hard to stop as many players as we have.''

Said Ellis: ``That third goal was the back-breaker. If we go in at half down by two, go out and pressure (Portland in the second half) and get one, there's hope. But that third goal - it's hard to rebound. They're such a good team. ...

``Everything they hit was golden. They were fantastic.''

Scott French, [phone]

scott.french(at)dailynews.com

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UCLA's Stacy Lindstrom, left, and Valerie Henderson are dejected after Sunday's loss to Portland.

Paul Zoeller/Associated Press