49ers Open Up Big West Play at Home
Pre-Season Frontrunners UCSB, Cal Poly Come to Town This Weekend
October 1, 2003 Full PDF Release 49ERS BEGIN TITLE QUEST
The 49ers (4-5-0, 0-0-0) will see how well its non-conference schedule of four NCAA Tournament teams pays off, as LBSU opens up Big West play this weekend at home with pre-season favorites UC Santa Barbara (6-2-2, 1-0-0) and Cal Poly (9-1-0, 0-0-0). So far, The Beach's schedule has featured two top-10 programs along with two more NCAA Tournament teams over its first nine matches. Pre-season pick, UCSB will play at 4 p.m. on Friday, while defedning champion Cal Poly, who just dropped out of the top-25, comes to town on Sunday at 1 p.m. LBSU has won four of its last five, including three by shutout. LONG BEACH STATE 49ERS
RECORD: 4-5-0
Quick Kicks: The 49ers have won four of five heading into the Big West opener... LBSU is unbeaten in its last two opening Big West weekends, going 3-0-1 against Utah State and Idaho over the past two seasons... the team's last lost to open conference play came in 2000 against, CS Fullerton (3-2 in overtime).
UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS
RECORD: 6-2-2, 1-0-0
Quick Kicks: The Big West's top offense features the last two Offensive Players of the Year in Jennifer Borcich and Krystal Sandza... the two have combined for 12 goals and eight assists... Randi Johns adds four goals and three assists to a team that averaged just over two goals a game... UCSB is unbeaten in its last six contests, beating CS Fullerton (3-0) and tying San Diego (1-1) last week.
SERIES VS. LBSU: LBSU leads the all-time series 3-2-0, but have lost in each of the last two years.
HEAD COACH: Paul Stumpf (47-32-7, 5th year)
CAL POLY MUSTANGS
RECORD: 9-1-0
Quick Kicks: The Mustangs fell out of the top-25 this week after being ranked No. 21, losing to perrenial power Santa Clara 2-0 on Sunday... Cal Poly is amongst the national leaders in defense, sporting seven shutouts, while allowing just four goals on the season... Carroll Kelsey leads the club with four goals and four assists, while Sharon Day adds four goals and two assists.
SERIES VS. LBSU: Cal Poly leads the all-time series 3-1-1, as LBSU has gone 1-1-1 over the past three seasons against Cal Poly.
HEAD COACH: Alex Crozier (145-71-15, 12 year).
UPCOMING FOR THE BEACH: The 49ers continue conference play at Pacific on October 10 and at CS Northridge on October 12. . |
AT THE HELM
Veteran coach Peter Reynaud (CS Hayward ‘72) is in his third year as the 49ers' head coach and his 22nd season overall as a head coach. Reynaud is 240-141-30. The 240 career victories ranks amongst the all-time top-10 in collegiate soccer history. Reynaud won a National Championship with Sonoma State and has led his teams to seven NCAA Tournaments.
LAST TWO WEEKS
The 49ers took its only contest last week, 1-0 over Weber State as Allison Wiegand scored in the 76th minute to give LBSU the victory. The Beach split its trip to the East Coast two weeks ago, winning at Hartford 3-1 on September 19 before falling at No. 7-ranked Connecticut 5-0 two days later. In the win over Hartford, the team's third straight, Abie Curry scored twice and assisted on Erin Empting's first career goal. The three-match win streak tied the 2000 team for the longest win streak in school-history.
GAME WINNING WIEGAND
Junior Allison Wiegand (Modesto) scored her second game-winning goal of the season last Saturday, firing home a pass from Nicole Cross (Cathedral City) for the 49ers' only score. Wiegand's first career game-winner came against Southern Utah. The two game-winners is a top the Big West leader boards.
CRASHING THE CHARTS
Veterans Abie Curry (Chico) and Allison Wiegand (Modesto) continue to climb and topple the all-time 49er charts. Curry, with three goals and two assists this season, already is the all-time leader in goals (14) and points (32), while Wiegand's two goals and two assists moved her into fourth all-time in career assists (5), third in goals (9) and points (23).
SHARING THE WEALTH
Nicole Cross' (Cathedral City) assist against Weber State was the second time this season that the freshman has set up Allison Wiegand (Modesto) for the game-winning goal. Cross joined MacKenzie Blechel (Forestville), Abie Curry (Chico) and Wiegand, for the team lead with two assists.
CURRY ADDING TO RECORD
With a five-point explosion at Hartford on September 19, Abie Curry became the first 49er ever to tally five and six points in a single match. She had six points last season against Nevada.
BACKLINE SHUTS DOWN OPPOSITION
Thanks to the strong play from defenders Lauren Doffing (San Diego), Shanna Wender (Fresno) and Heather Kindschi (Huntington Beach), the 49ers have been able to absorb the loss of All-Big West defender Natalie Messina. Since Messina went down on August 31, the defense had allowed one or fewer goals in six of the last eight matches.
MESSINA LOST FOR THE SEASON
All-Big West (HM) defender Natalie Messina (Santa Rosa) will receive a medical redshirt after suffering a lower left leg injury at Stanford on August 31. Messina was heading a ball at midfield, and fell backwards when the injury occurred. Messina had opened the season by shutting down USD's Michelle Rowe, a member of the Canadian National program.
EARLY STRUGGLES, STRONG FINISHES
The 49ers are 4-1 since starting the season 0-4-0, similar to the team's start in 2002. Last year, LBSU started the season 0-5-1, but turned around to finish 6-4-4.
SIX YEARS AND COUNTING
2003 will mark the sixth season for the Long Beach State program and third under Head Coach Peter Reynaud. The young 49ers return seven starters and feature just six upperclassmen. Five upperclassmen start.
FOUR ALL-BIG WEST PLAYERS RETURN
First team All-Big West Allison Wiegand (Modesto) leads a group of four all-conference selections on the 49ers this season. Also returning are honorable mention selections senior forward Abie Curry (Chico), and junior defender Shanna Wender (Fresno). Sophomore defender Natalie Messina (Santa Rosa) will miss the season with a leg injury.
GETTING READY IN A HURRY
The 49ers will have played five NCAA tournament teams from a year ago over its first 11 games. LBSU opened against San Diego, and No. 4-ranked Stanford, and traveled to No. 7-ranked UConn (Sept. 21) and Hartford (Sept. 19). The 49ers host defending Big West Champion Cal Poly this Sunday.
YOUTH IS SERVED
Sixteen of the team's 22 players will enter the season with one or less year of collegiate playing experience. Of those, 12 are freshmen, including redshirt goalie Tara Gotthardt (Pleasanton), midfielders Jen Robin (Fair Oaks), and Erin Empting (Fountain Valley) and defenders Brenna LaBine (Fair Oaks), Heather Kindschi (Huntington Beach) and Kat Avendano (Buena Park).
49ERS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH
With 59 total points, the 49ers are picked to finish fifth in the Big West Conference. This year's conference should be very competitive, as UC Santa Barbara (92 points), Cal Poly (89) and CS Fullerton (82), all garnered first place votes. UC Irvine (60) edged LBSU by one point for fourth place, followed by Pacific (49), UC Riverside (44), CS Northridge (37), Idaho (21) and Utah State (17). The top four teams will play in a two-round conference tournament in Fullerton on November 7 and 9.
2002 IN REVIEW
The 49ers (6-9-5, 4-2-3 BWC) finished in fifth place in the Big West Conference, contending for a league title with two weeks left in the regular season. After an 0-5-1 start, The Beach closed the season 6-4-4, with three, five-goal victories, the program's first-ever win over a ranked opponent and numerous school records broken. In additional, the schedule may have been the toughest in school history featuring four opponents who at one time were nationally ranked (Pepperdine, Purdue, Saint Mary's, CS Fullerton) and two others who were regionally ranked (UW-Milwaukee, Navy). |
