49ers Head to the Hilltop for Two Matches
No. 24-ranked Niners Head to San Francisco as Part of City by the Bay Classic
September 5, 2006 WEEKLY RELEASE ...AND THE SUN SHINES ON THE BAY
The No. 24-ranked 49ers (3-1-0) continue its virutal month-long journey this week then they travel to the University of San Francisco for the City by the Bay Classic on September 8 and 10. The 49ers will start off on the Hilltop with a familar foe, former Big West mate, Utah State (2-2-0) on Friday at 7:30 p.m., before taking on the host Dons (1-3-0) on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Beach are off to a strong start, winning with defense, allowing just one goal this season (at No. 5-ranked UCLA in the 83rd minute). LBSU has posted three shutouts in four matches this season. The 49ers play nine of their first 10 matches on the road.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Utah State is 2-2-0 to enter the week, having lost both games in Salt Lake City this past weekend at the Utah Fall Classic, 1-0 to Washington State and 3-0 to No. 17-ranked Arizona... USU went 7-9-4 in their first season in the WAC last year... LBSU is 5-2-0 against Utah State, last meeting in 2004 (a 2-1 overtime loss in Logan, UT)... and in the case you're wondering category, the 49ers will be the first non-feline related mascot the Aggies will face this year after facing a Bengal (Idaho State), two Wildcats (Weber State and Arizona) and a Couger (Washington State)... The host Dons have begun the year 1-3-0, picking up their first win of the season last Sunday against San Jose State (3-1)... the Hilltoppers had previously lost to Fresno State, UC Davis and No. 19-ranked Stanford by a combined 8-0 margin to begin the year... USF returns eight starters to a team that went 4-14-2 last year... LBSU is 0-1-1 against USF, last meeting in 2004 (a 0-0 tie).
RANK AND FILE
The 49ers moved up to their highest rankings of all-time on August 28 when they ranked No. 24 in Soccer Buzz's national poll and No. 7 in their West Region poll. They remain there this week. They began the season No. 28 in Soccer Buzz and No. 9 regionally. They appeared in the top-25 in Soccer America and Soccer Buzz for the first time in franchise history in 2005.
MEET THE HEAD COACH
In a short time, Mauricio Ingrassia has put Long Beach State soccer on the map. Over two-plus seasons LBSU has gone 21-15-6, 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.
RAMOS CONTINUES STELLAR START
During the first week, the 49er defense kept goalkeeper Liz Ramos' (Bakersfield) workload pretty light with just four shots on goal. And other than a stopped penalty kickat Portland State, neither opponent had many chances at net. This past week Ramos earned her scholarship picking up 12 saves, allowing just one goal to slip by in the 83rd minute at UCLA after making seven saves and combatting nine corner kicks. Ramos enters the week with 2.5 shutouts this year and an 0.27 goals against average.
HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS
The 49ers offense this season has a goal of taking more high percentage shots. If the early going is any indication, LBSU is adapting to the strategy. Nearly 50 percent of the team's shots (45) have been on target, with opponents forced to make 16 saves on 20 shots on goal this season. Of the team's three goal scorers this year, Hayley Bolt, Kim Silos and Dana Farquhar, the trio have combined to score on 30 percent of their shots on goal.
FRESHMEN SEE EARLY MINUTES
Though not as many as last year, a couple of freshmen have seen minutes early on this season. The team's tallest player, Sarah Stohl (San Diego) has caused matchup problems in the midfield for opponents, and made her first start at UCLA, while defender Chantel Hubbard (Torrance) is likely to continue to see minutes in the backfield.
MESSINA NAMED TO ELITE TEAM
Soccer Buzz named its first Elite Team of the Week for the week of September 4 and senior captain Natalie Messina (Santa Rosa) was named to it following the team's two shutouts in the Pacific Northwest to start the season. LBSU allowed just four shots on goal during the first week of the season. Messina, fellow senior Jenna Duncan (Long Beach) and sophomore Julie Megorden (Los Alamitos) have continued to shutout opposing offenses.
FARQUHAR NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the second time in her short career, sophomore forward Dana Farquhar (Redlands) was named the Big West Player of the Week following the game-winning goal in the 70th minute off the bench at Oregon.
49ERS PART OF GAME OF THE WEEK
Long Beach State will be part of the national NSCAA Game of the Week on Fox Soccer Channel when they play at CS Fullerton on October 25 at 5 p.m. Throughout the season, FSC will broadcast a men's and women's college game of the week.
RPI REPORTS TO BE RELEASED
This season the NCAA through its website, www.ncaasports.com, will release RPIs of its members on October 6 and November 3. The 49ers upgraded their schedule after just missing out on the NCAA Tournament in 2005.
FIRST-EVER PRE-SEASON RANK
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.
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.
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.
RECORD BREAKING SEASON
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)
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. |
