49ers Play Three on the Road
Beach Fight For Playoff Spot in Season's Final Week
October 27, 2003
Full PDF Weekly Release LONG BEACH STATE 49ERS
RECORD: 8-7-0, 4-2-0 (4th)
Quick Kicks: The 49ers have won eight of its last 11 as it heads into the final week of the regular season... the 49ers are one of four teams with at least four wins and will play three times over the next six days... junior midfielder Allison Wiegand leads the club with 15 points.
UC IRVINE ANTEATERS
RECORD: 8-3-5, 2-1-3 (7th)
Quick Kicks: UCI has gone 2-0-3 over its last five matches after tying Utah State and defeating Idaho 2-1 two weekends ago... the Anteaters have lost just once since September 12, going 5-1-4... UCI posts a 4-1-3 record at home this season... Marissa Welliver has a 0.56 goals against average... Hayle McNallan has six goals and five assists to lead UCI, while Kim LLoyd has tallied five goals and Alyson Spencer has four goals...
SERIES VS. LBSU: UCI leads the all-time series 4-0-1 with a 1-1 tie coming last season.
HEAD COACH: Marine Cano (102-68-24, 10th year) and has a 225-121-36 record in 20+ seasons.
CS FULLERTON TIANS
RECORD: 8-7-2, 2-4-1 (8th)
Quick Kicks: Picked to finish third in the pre-season, CSF currently sits in eighth place... the Titans have gone 2-4-2 over its last eight, including losses at Utah State (2-0) and at Idaho (2-0) last weekend... the team has managed just five goals over that stretch... Kandace Wilson leads the club with nine goals and three assists, while Erica Pryor has three goals... CSF finished 0-6-1 on the road, but is 6-0-1 at home.
SERIES VS. LBSU: Fullerton holds a slight 3-2-0 edge in the all-time series, with the 49ers' first victory ever over a ranked opponent coming last year, 2-1, in the closing seconds of regulation... both losses have been by a single goal.
HEAD COACH: Ali Khosroshahin (33-19-3, 3rd year)
UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS
RECORD: 10-5-3, 4-2-1 (3rd)
Quick Kicks: UCR is in the hunt for a playoff spot, in third place with 13 points... the Highlanders have gone 6-3-1 over its last 10, with two of those losses by a single goal each to a top-25 team... last weekend UCR defeated Idaho 2-0 and tied Utah State 0-0... Vanessa Chancez leads the club with five goals and four assists, while Kelly Ferguson has four goals.
SERIES VS. LBSU: LBSU has won both meetings, winning last year 2-1 and winning 4-0 in Riverside two years ago.
HEAD COACH: Veronica O'Brien (25-25-4, 5th year)
UPCOMING FOR THE BEACH: The Big West Tournament in Fullerton, will be November 7 and 9.
49ERS FIGHT FOR PLAYOFF SPOT ON THE ROAD
The 49ers (8-7-0, 4-2-0 Big West) will end the regular with three matches over six days, all on the road, as The Beach fight for one of four playoff spots for the Big West Tournament next weekend. Due to the fires in the Los Angeles area, the match at UC Irvine (8-3-5, 2-1-3 Big West) was re-scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. due to health and safety concerns. The fires have torched nearly 100,000 acres around the Southland. LBSU then travels to CS Fullerton (8-7-2, 2-4-1 Big West) on Friday for a match at 7 p.m., before heading to UC Riverside (10-5-3, 4-2-1 Big West) on Sunday at 1 p.m. LBSU's 0-4-0 start is a mere memory as the team has now won eight of 11 and have a chance to produce its first ever winning season.
PLAYOFF SEEDING
The top four teams in the Big West will advance to the post season tournament held at CS Fullerton on November 7 and 9 and 5 and 7:30 p.m. If two teams end up tied, the BW tiebreaker is first head-to-head records, followed by records versus the next highest seeded team. To begin the week, eight of the conference's 10 teams have a shot at making the playoffs. Should LBSU win twice this week, the 49ers have a near lock on a playoff spot. Should they win at UCI on Tuesday, The Beach will win the tiebreaker against three of the top six teams (Utah State, UCSB and UCI). Two wins and a tie, or three wins, gives the team its best opportunity as one of the top two seeds. Cal Poly (17 points), Utah State (14) and UC Riverside (13) are ahead of the 12-point 49ers.
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 244-143-30. The 244 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.
TWO WEEKS AGO
The 49ers moved into first place with a pair of wins over the two non-California members of the Big West, shutting out Utah State 3-0 and defeating Idaho 3-1. Amber Oliveira set a single-game record with three assists in the win over the Vandals, while Allison Wiegand scored two goals and an assist for the weekend and Lauren Doffing tallied a score in each match.
WIEGAND THIS WEEK'S BEST
Ultimate utility player Allison Wiegand (Modesto) was named Big West Player of the Week on October 22, for the first time in her career, after tallying five points on the weekend and leading the 49ers into first place in the Big West standings. Wiegand also moved into second place all-time in career goals (13), assists (6) and points (32). Wiegand currently leads the club with 15 points, and six goals. Over the team's current three-match win streak, Wiegand has scored four goals and added an assist.
WELCOME TO THE TOP
Last weeks perch a top the standings is believed to be the first time LBSU has been in first this late in the season. On October 31, 2000 the team was tied for second, while on October 8, 2001 the team was first.
WINS MOUNT, AS RECORDS FALL
The 49ers, who posted their eighth win on October 19 against Idaho, tied the 1999 and 2000 teams for second-most wins in school-history. The Beach are also on the verge of its first winning season, which came closest during the program's first year, in 1998 (9-7-0). The four wins in conference ties the school-record, while the 6-3-0 home record is also a team-best.
HARTWYK ROLLING IN GOAL
Goalie Meghan Hartwyk (Los Alamitos) won her sixth straight decision on October 17 against Utah State, yet another shutout for the sophomore. Hartwyk, with four shutouts this season, has tied the single-season record for most shutouts in a season, held jointly with Jihan Elgazzar (1999) and Hannah Cochrun (2000).
GOOD AS AMBER
Freshman Amber Oliveira (Lemoore) became the first 49er in school-history to tally three assists in a match, dishing out a trifeca against Utah State on October 17. Oliveira assisted on Lauren Doffing's (San Diego) game-winner, than placed a perfect corner to Jen Robin (Fair Oaks), before setting up a give and go for Allison Wiegand (Modesto). Oliveira has tallied all of her team-best four assists over a 10-day span, starting at CS Northridge on October 12.
DEFENSIVE SECRET WEAPON
Senior Lauren Doffing (San Diego) proved that she could tally a goal or in this case, two, as well, scoring once against Utah State and another time against idaho last weekend. Doffing tallied the game-winner against USU and scored the third goal of the first half against Idaho. Doffing doubled her career total.
FAB FRESHMEN
Jen Robin (Fair Oaks) and Erin Empting (Fountain Valley) have developed into constant scoring threats for The Beach this season. Both of Empting's goals have been game-winners, while Robin tallied her third goal in the team's win over Utah State on October 17. Nicole Cross (Cathedral City) is tied for second on the team with three assists, while Heather Kindschi (Huntinton Beach) is a starting defender.
LEADING THE PACK
Senior Abie Curry (Chico) continues to be the team's all-time leader in a number of offensive categories, including: goals (15), points (34) and shots (111). Curry has scored the two biggest goals in school-history, both game-winners, against pre-season favorite UCSB, earlier this year in overtime, and another in the closing seconds against nationally ranked CS Fullerton last year, the team's first win over a ranked team.
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.
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.
YOUTH IS SERVED
The young 49ers returned seven starters and feature just six upperclassmen. Five upperclassmen start. 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.
49ERS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH
With 59 total points, the 49ers are picked to finish fifth in the Big West. 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). |
