No. 28-ranked 49ers Begin Season in the Pacific NorthWest
Beach Coming Off Record-Breaking Season, Return All 11 Starters
August 22, 2006 PDF OF THE RELEASE 49ERS SET TO BEGIN 2006
The No. 28-ranked 49ers (12-5-3 last year) will begin 2006 away from the friendly confines of George Allen Field, playing nine of their first 10 matches on the road, beginning this weekend in the Pacific Northwest at Oregon (9-9-1 last year) on Friday at 7 p.m. and at Portland State (5-11-2 last year) on Sunday at noon. The Vikings will play at Pacific on Friday to open their season before returning to the Rose City for a match on Sunday. LBSU is 1-5-2 in season openers since the program's re-start in 1998.
HOME OPENER ON SEPTEMBER 1
The 49ers will host its home opener on September 1 at 5 p.m. as part of a six-match home schedule. The ticket office is currently selling tickets online at www.longbeachstate.com and by calling (562) 985-4949. Season tickets are $30.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Oregon, which stumbled to a 1-8-0 mark in the Pac-10 last year, focus their offense around All-America candidate Nicole Garbin, who was granted her sixth year of eligibility following knee problems in 2002 and 2004. On the defensive end, all-Pac 10 freshman goalkeeper Jessie Chatfield leads the charge, having posted seven shutouts in her first Division-I season in 2005.... for Portland State, which opens its season at Pacific on Friday, they return nine players to a squad that went 5-11-2 last year. Eighteen newcomers round out the team which is picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky for second year Head Coach Tim Bennett.
MEET THE HEAD COACH
In a short time, Mauricio Ingrassia has put Long Beach State soccer on the map. Over two seasons LBSU has gone 18-14-6, posting its best season in 2005 (12-5-3). This year should be one of the program's finest. Ingrassia has twice had nationally ranked recruiting classes and has brought in five top-100 recruits over the past two seasons. Ingrassia came from nearby Long Beach City College in 2004, after going 184-24-8 (.870) and winning five state and two national titles over nine seasons. Two of his former players, defender Jenna Duncan, a starter, and newcomer Kristin Childers, the 2004 JC State Player of the Year, are currently on the team.
FIRST-EVER PRE-SEASON RANKING
Following a record-breaking campaign in 2005, the 49ers are ranked No. 28 by Soccer Buzz in its pre-season poll, the first-ever pre-season national ranking for the program. The Beach are rated ninth-best in a heavily nationally ranked West Region, also a franchise-best.
BEACH PICKED TO WIN BIG WEST
For the first time in school-history the 49ers are picked to win the eight-team Big West Conference. The 49ers received three first place votes, as for the second-straight year the team has achieved the conference's best recruiting class.
ADDING TO THE CORE
Adding to the 15th-best recruiting class in the nation in 2005, the 49ers backed that up with its fifth top-100 recruit in the past two years (top-50 pick Yeraldy Hurtado) and the 39th-best class in the country. LBSU has twice had the best recruiting class in the Big West. Last year's class featured eight freshmen in the starting lineup.
RECORD BREAKING SEASON IN 2005
Here is a list of some of the record-breaking performances from last year:
• First-ever national ranking (No. 25)
• First-ever regional ranking (as high as No. 10)
• First-ever Big West Tournament berth
• Tied its highest-ever Big West finish (3rd)
• Tied school-record for wins (12-5-3)
• Top two crowds of all-time (CSF, UCSB)
• First winning season in two decades
• Set school-record for assists (29)
• Set school-record for shutouts (11)
• First-ever nationally ranked recruits (4 of them)
• First nationally ranked recruiting class (15th)
EVERY STARTER RETURNS
The 49ers return all 11 starters from a year ago, and overall returns 18 lettermen. Leading the way are Freshman All-Americans and midfielders Hayley Bolt (Lakewood) and Kim Silos (Ontario). The duo combined for 17 goals and 47 points in 2005.
STILL YOUNG, BUT DEEPER
This year's squad is still relatively young, checking in with 14 underclassmen, but it is much deeper and experienced than last year. According to Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia, the team's fitness has been the best he's seen in his three years. Following a record 12-3-3 start in 2005, the 49ers went 0-2-2 down the stretch, something his team will only benefit from in 2006. The team did not score a goal after October 21, a span of 414 minutes heading into the season.
WINNING WITH DEFENSE
For the past two seasons the 49ers have set and then broken the school-record for shutouts, posting 18 over the last two years, following 11 in 2005. Goalie Liz Ramos (Bakersfield) and the team's backline have set the standard for the upcoming season. Ramos, then a freshman, set the school-record with an 0.66 mark in 2005 and ranked 22nd nationally in goals against average.
NEARLY PERFECT AT HOME
The 49ers won their first nine matches at home in 2005 en route to a record 9-1-0 record, 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. This season, LBSU also produced the two biggest crowds in school-history, a record 961 versus CS Fullerton to close out the season and 632 vs. UC Santa Barbara. |
