THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
LBSU at UC Riverside, Host CS Fullerton | LONG BEACH STATE 49ERS
RECORD: 12-4-1, 3-2-0 Big West
Quick Kicks: The 49ers are facing a big week, as they can either win their first-ever conference title, reach their first-ever conference tournament or miss the tournament completely... LBSU, which was ranked No. 25 for the previous two weeks, have won four of five and are a perfect 9-0-0 at home. They also have a school-record tying 12 wins.
| | UC RIVERSIDE
Friday at Riverside, 3 p.m.
RECORD: 10-3-3, 4-0-2 Big West
Quick Kicks: The surprising conference front-runner can wrap up the Big West title with a win on Friday after being picked to finish seventh... UCR is unbeaten over its last eight games (6-0-2), tying its last two Big West games with Cal Poly and UC Irvine... the Highlanders are a perfect 6-0-0 at home and are led by Renee Scachetti's conference leading 12 goals.
SERIES VS. LBSU: LBSU leads the all-time series 2-1-1, having tied last year at George Allen Field.
NO. 21 CS FULLERTON
Sunday, George Allen Field, 1 p.m.
RECORD: 13-3-0, 4-1-0 Big West
Quick Kicks: Secured a playoff spot, like UC Riverside, the Titans have won five in a row heading into its match on Friday against UC Irvine... Kandace Wilson leads the club with 16 points and six goals, while Lauryn Welch has four goals and 12 points... Karen Bardsley is second behind 49er goalie Liz Ramos in goals against average at 0.68.
SERIES VS. LBSU: The Titans lead the all-time series 4-3-0, with the last six meetings being tied 3-3-0, with all but last year's 3-0 49er loss at home being decided by a single goal. LBSU defeated the Titans last time they were ranked (2002). |
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JUST WIN BABY
In order for the school's first post-season berth to exist, the 49ers (12-4-1, 3-2-0 Big West) need to score just one more point to reach the Big West Tournament. A win or a tie puts The Beach in, while two wins this week, at UC Riverside (10-3-3, 4-0-2 Big West) on Friday at 3 p.m. and by hosting No. 21-ranked CS Fullerton (13-3-0, 4-1-0) on Sunday at 1 p.m., not only puts the 49ers into the playoffs, but gives them at least a share of its first conference title and more importantly the right to host the four-team conference tournament. LBSU is a perfect 9-0-0 at home this season. The 49ers are coming off a 2-1 week, in which Kim Silos scored three goals and added an assist, and the lone slip up was a 2-0 loss at UC Irvine. LBSU began the week with wins over Idaho (2-0) and UC Davis (3-0).
COACH CHAT ON SUNDAY
Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia, will hold a "Coach Chat" one hour prior to Sunday's game against the Titans. Fans are encouraged to attend.
SENIOR TO BE HONORED
Senior goalkeeper Meghan Hartwyk (Los Alamitos), a three-year starter in goal, will be honored before Sunday's game against CS Fullerton. The team's co-captain, set the single-season record for goals against average in 2003 (0.88) and carries the second-most shutouts (8) and second-best goals against average (1.35) in school-history. She has also played in the second-most minutes of any 49er goalie.
FIRST THIS, AND A RECORD THAT
It seems every week is another "school-record" this or some other "first" by this year's 49ers, here is a list of most of them:
• First-ever national ranking (No. 25)
• First-ever regional ranking (as high as No. 10)
• Tied school-record for wins (12)
• First winning season in two decades
• Set school-record for assists (29)
• Set school-record for shutouts (9)
• First-ever nationally ranked recruits (4 of them)
• First nationally ranked recruiting class (15th)
Individuals have also re-written the single-season record books, with many of the following:
• First national players of the week (2)
• Modern-day record for goals (Silos)
• Modern-day record for assists (Bolt)
• Single-season record for shots (Bolt, Silos)
• Modern-day record for points (Bolt, Silos)
• Single-season record for shutouts (Ramos)
• Second and third-ever hat tricks (Romo, Silos)
CRACKING THE TOP-25
The 49ers cracked the top-25 for the first time in school-history on October 11, ranking No. 25 in Soccer America. They remained in the national rankings on October 18, and added to its resume by "receiving votes" on Soccerbuzz.com's national top-30. LBSU who have been ranked in the West Regional rankings all season, achieved its highest regional rankings on September 18, when they were No. 10 in the NSCAA and No. 11 in Soccerbuzz.com's regional rankings. LBSU is No. 12 in soccerbuzz.com's regional rankings this week and out of the top-25 nationally.
PERFECT AT HOME
The 49ers are a perfect 9-0-0 at home setting the record for home triumphs, set in 2003, when the team went 6-3-0. Both of the franchise's wins over ranked opponents have come at home, in 2002 against No. 25 CS Fullerton and on October 7, 2005 when they defeated No. 20 Cal Poly.
SILOS FIRES AWAY
Freshman Kim Silos (Ontario), one of seven regular freshmen starters, has been on a tear as of late, scoring five goals over her last six games, to become just the fourth 49er to top double-digit goals (10) in a season. Her 25 overall points is fifth-best all-time. She also has five game-winning goals, tying the career-record set by Allison Wiegand from 2001 to 2004.
BOLT TO THE FINISH
Freshman Hayley Bolt (Lakewood) has proved she is a big-game player, tallying four game-winning goals and adding four-game winning assists to give her seven goals and a modern-day record eight assists on the season. The assists is the fourth-best all-time and the greatest number since 1985.
TINY WEAPON UP FRONT
Freshman Sahar Haghdan (Palmdale), listed at 5-3, ranks third on the team in scoring with 12 points, tallying four goals and four assists this season. After a quiet start, she has tallied nine points (3 G, 3 A) since September 30.
NOT MUCH GETS BY
The 49er defense is in line to shatter the single-season record for least shots allowed, coming into the week with just 146 shots allowed. The record of 225 was set in 2003. Thanks to Liz Ramos' conference-leading 0.63 goals against average, LBSU has posted a record nine shutouts as well.
NATIONAL HONORS
For the first time in school-history, on September 26, and then again on October 12, Kim Silos (Ontario) and Dana Farquhar (Redlands) received national recognition, earning a spot on Soccerbuzz.com's and Soccer America's National Teams of the Week.
BLECHEL OUT FOR SEASON
The 49ers got even younger when the training room reported that senior midfielder MacKenzie Blechel (Forestville) will be lost for the season due to a right knee injury. Blechel has played in 54 games in her career. That left just one senior, goalie Meghan Hartwyk, on the roster.
15TH BEST RECRUITING CLASS
With upwards of eight freshmen starters, the 15th best recruiting class in the country, and fourth-best in the West has paid dividends. This is the first time LBSU has ever had a recruiting class ranked, and its also a first for soccerbuz.com to have a recruiting class ranked in the top-25, without first having a top-100 class. Kim Silos (Ontario) and Sara Baca (Ventura) are top-50 recruits, while Sahar Haghdan (Palmdale) and Hayley Bolt (Lakewood) are top-100 recruits, also firsts for the program. All told of the nine letters of intent, four are former CIF Players of the Year, seven are CalSouth Olympic Development Players, and five are West Regional ODP players.
PRE-SEASON MOMENTUM
For the first time in school-history the 49ers received a first place vote in the pre-season coaches poll, and are picked to finish tied for third in the Big West, its highest pre-season prediction. Cal Poly were slated to win, followed by CS Fullerton and LBSU and UCSB. The team's 6-9-3 overall record and 1-6-2 Big West finish is well in the rearview mirror.
STRONG SCHEDULE FOR 2005
The 49ers significantly upgraded its schedule for the 2005 season, as the docket features four teams who have been nationally ranked (UCLA, USC, Cal Poly, CS Fullerton) and 10 teams picked to finish in the top four of their respective conferences. LBSU has already beaten two NCAA Tournament teams (Weber State, Cal Poly) and tied another (UNLV). |
