The Beach Storms Hawaii To Begin Road Trip
49ers Hit the Road For Seven Matches
September 8, 2004 PDF Version of the Release LONG BEACH STATE 49ERS
RECORD: 3-0-1, 0-0-0 Big West
Quick Kicks: The Beach is off to its best start in school-history (tying the 2000 team)... LBSU has split its last two meetings with top-30 teams, losing at No. 7-ranked UConn in 2003 and defeating No. 25-ranked CS Fullerton in 2002... Mauricio Ingrassia has a personal 59-match unbeaten streak.
NO. 30 DUKE BLUE DEVILS
RECORD: 2-2-0, Atlantic Coast Conference
Quick Kicks: Duke will play Hawaii on Friday... Duke was ranked No. 25 by SoccerBuzz.com last week and are No. 30 this week, as both of its losses are to top-25 teams (Tennesse and Florida)... the Blue Devils are picked to finish fifth in the ACC, behind two Final Four teams, North Carolina and Florida State... Duke beat Elon and Kenesaw State earlier this year... Kate Seibert leads the club with three assists and five points, while Darby Kroyer and Sarah McCabe have two goals a piece... goalie Allison Lipscher returns to her native Hawaii with a 2.91 goals against average... Robbie Church is in his third year.
SERIES VS. LBSU: Never Met.
HAWAII WAHINE
RECORD: 3-1-1, Western Athletic Conference
Quick Kicks: The Wahine will host Duke on Friday... Hawaii is picked to finish second in the WAC, led by the conference's leading scorer, F Natasha Kai... Kai was last week's WAC Player of the Week and has seven points this year... Gabrielle Bohlman has three goals... Robyn deHay and Joelle Sugai are both All-WAC players... Pinsoom Tenzing is in his 11th year at the helm.
SERIES VS. LBSU: Hawaii holds an 1-0-1 record against LBSU, last winning 1-0 in 2004... LBSU won the Ohana Shootout two years ago in 2002.
ALOHA TO THE ROAD
The unbeaten 49ers (3-0-1) will embark on the program's longest roadtrip over the next month, featuring trips to Hawaii, San Diego, Omaha, NE and California's central coast. The roadtrip begins this weekend in Honolulu, with the Outriggers Hotel and Resort Classic, featuring Hawaii (3-1-1) and No. 30-ranked Duke (2-2-0). Duke is ranked sixth in the Southeast Region, while Hawaii is 12th in the West Region, according to SoccerBuzz.com. LBSU faces the Blue Devils on Saturday at 9 p.m. PST, before taking on the Wahine on Monday at 7 p.m. PST. The team will travel 5700 miles before it is all said and done.
INGRASSIA TAKES OVER
Mauricio Ingrassia hit the ground running in late May after taking over for Peter Reynaud, who retired after 22 seasons as a head coach. Ingrassia built a very successful junior college program at Long Beach City College, where he won five of the last seven state titles and finished with an 184-24-8 record over nine years. Ingrassia's teams were undefeated over the past two seasons, pulling off a 55-match unbeaten streak. The Vikings achieved back-to-back No. 1 national rankings, while winning two of his final four state titles. LBCC had never reached the playoffs, or won more than seven matches in a season prior to his arrival.
LAST WEEK
The 49ers matched the 2000 team for the best start in school-history, winning its own 49er Classic behind a 1-0 win over Drake and a 2-0 triumph over Iona. The 49er defense posted its second and third straight shutouts as Allison Reeves tallied the game-winner in the 48th minute on Friday, before scoring the second of two 49er goals in the 29th minute against Iona. Erin Empting actually tallied the game-winning penalty kick, 28 seconds prior to Reeves' score. Reeves actually set up the penalty shot by being knocked down in the box.
ALL-49ER CLASSIC TEAM
Defender Natalie Messina (Santa Rosa) was named the Most Outstanding Player at the 49er Classic for the victorious 49ers, while Allison Reeves (Lakewood), Tara Gotthardt (Pleasanton) and Kristin Travis (Davis) were also named all-tournament. Other members of the team included: Andrea Schmitz, F, Drake; Karisa Vandello, D, Drake; Libby Wilrich, D, Drake; Kristin Aja, MF, UCD; Lindsey Raymond, F, UCD; Megan Teixeira, F, Iona. Drake finished second, followed by UC Davis and Iona.
REEVES REVS UP THE ENGINES
Junior forward Allison Reeves (Lakewood) has the early points lead for The Beach, thanks to two goals and five points this year. Coming into the season, Reeves, who had played in 37 career games, had just three career points. Reeves' brother, Dan, is a senior defender for CS Dominguez Hills, which is 20 minutes North of Long Beach.
TARA'S GOTT-HARDT
Puns aside, sophomore goalie Tara Gotthardt (Pleasanton) has been exceptional in goal this season. She has yet to allow a goal in 245 minutes this season, and has not allowed a goal since October 31, 2003 at CS Fullerton, a string of 378:28 scoreless minutes.
TRAVIS A FORCE UP FRONT
Senior forward Kristin Travis (Davis) has matched her point total from all of last year, with four, after tallying two assists last weekend. Travis' 23 career points places her ninth all-time, while her seven assists (t-sixth) and eight goals (t-12th) are also amongst the all-time greats.
SHUTTING THE DOOR
The team's three-straight shutouts set a school-record for consecutive shutouts. LBSU has allowed just one goal this season, in the 63rd minute of the season opener against Sacramento State.
WIEGAND MOVES INTO FOURTH
Allison Wiegand's (Modesto) first goal of the season (against Sacramento State) also moved her into fourth place all-time for career goals (15) and points (36). The senior utility player has already tied Abie Curry's modern-day record for points, and will catch Curry's goal record with her next net-finder. Wiegand's six career assists is ninth all-time, three away from the top-five.
GOLDEN GOAL A SUCCESS
The team's first annual golden goal fundraiser was a success on August 20 as the dinner and silent auction raised in the neighborhood of $10,000 for the program.
PRE-SEASON NOTES
BEACH RETURN INTACT FOR 2004
The Beach will return 18 lettermen with Division-I experience and nine starters from last year's team. At the first day of tryouts on August 11, upwards of 50 players tried out. That roster is now at just over 30 players, led by senior forwards Allison Wiegand (Modesto) and Kristin Travis (Davis) and senior defender Shanna Wender (Fresno).
MOMENTUM HEADING INTO THE SEASON
The 49ers are coming off their best Big West season in school-history, tying the record for the most wins since the program's re-start in 1998, and finishing with the first .500 season (9-9-0) since 1986. LBSU won nine of its final 14 matches after an 0-4-0 start. Six of the team's nine losses in 2003 were by a single goal.
FOUR ALL-BIG WEST PLAYERS RETURN
The Beach will return four All-Big West performers this season, highlighted by the program's first, two-time first team All-Big West player in Allison Wiegand (Modesto). Two-time honorable mention pick Shanna Wender (Fresno) returns to the backline, as does sophomore honorable mention defender Natalie Messina (Santa Rosa). Sophomore Erin Empting (Fountain Valley) was honorable mention All-BWC at midfield in 2003.
49ERS PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH
Cal Poly, which won the title last year, garnered nine of the 10 first place votes and 99 total points and is picked by the league's coaches to win the Big West. UC Santa Barbara (84 points), CS Fullerton (78) and UC Irvine (61) round out the top four. UC Riverside follows with 59 points, while The Beach (50), Pacific (41), CS Northridge (40), Utah State (27) and Idaho (11) round out the field. Last year five teams came within two wins of first place. LBSU finished tied for fourth place. The top four teams reach the Big West Tournament.
WIEGAND TOP ALL AROUND PLAYER?
Allison Wiegand (Modesto) may be the conference's top all-around player, earning all-conference honors at three positions during her career. She began her career as a forward, earning second team honors, before leading the team's defense in 2002 and earning first team accolades. Last year at midfielder, she was also a first team selection.
SOLID BACKLINE
The 49er defense should be just as good with the return of senior Shanna Wender (Fresno) and junior Shaina O'Donnell (Victorville). Despite the loss of four-year starter Lauren Doffing, the return of Natalie Messina (Santa Rosa), from a dislocated fibula, the defense should not miss a step. Last year the team set records for the least amount of shots allowed (225) and goals allowed (22).
FRESHMEN EXCEL EARLY
Two freshmen have made an early impact in midfielders Hilary Goldberg (Woodbridge) and Kelli Goes (Manteca). Goldberg, who scored the only goal of the team's scrimmage with Biola and has started both regular season contest, was a two-time All-San Joaquin Conference performer. Goes was a three-time all-league prep selection. |
