49ers Head to Dust Bowl for Sooner Classic for Two Matches
Beach Riding Two-Match Win Streak into Norman, Okla.
September 18, 2007 PDF VERSION OF THE RELEASE BEACH HEADS TO OKLAHOMA
Long Beach State (4-3-0), winners of two-straight to begin the week, will travel to Norman, OK to participate in the Oklahoma Sooner Classic by playing Middle Tennessee (3-2-1) on Friday at 2:30 p.m. PST, before playing North Texas (6-0-0) on Sunday at 9 a.m. PST. LBSU, which dropped out of the top-25 two weeks ago, snapped their three-match losing streak this past weekend with consecutive wins over Big-12 foes, Oklahoma (2-1 in double overtime) and Baylor (3-0). This ended a busy week in which the 49ers dropped their third-straight to at top-25 team, on a penalty kick in the 71st minute, at BYU last Wednesday.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
Middle Tennessee is 3-2-1 on the season having won at Alabama A&M last Sunday (2-0) and losing at Alabama (2-1)... their other loss was a double overtime loss at Belmont (TN) 1-0... the Blue Raiders freshman forward, Jen Threlkeld leads the club with five goals, while sophomore forward Kala Morgan and senior forward Holly Grogan have three a piece... Grogan is also the all-time points leader at Middle Tennessee... and North Texas is a perfect 6-0-0 on the season having beating Texas State (5-0) and Grambling State (4-0) last weekend... Aston Rhoden is in his sixth season, and won back-to-back Sun Belt titles in 2004 and 2005 and won a school-record 17 matches last year... the Mean Green have outscored opponents 25-to-4 on the season, with additional wins over UTEP (4-3) and Northwestern (LA) State (2-1)... junior midfielder Brittany Cleveland has seven goals to lead the club, while sophomore midfielder Kendall Juett has a team-best seven assists and 13 points... senior Kandice Ellis (0.78 GAA) has allowed just four goals all season... John Hedlund is in his 13th year at North Texas, posting at least 13 wins in each of his last 10 seasons.
AT THE HELM
The 49ers quick emergence as a regional and national threat has come at the hands and feet of Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia. Ingrassia, who has gone 36-22-7 over three-plus seasons, has brought in three top-40 recruiting classes, including the 15th-best class in the nation in 2005. That class, now juniors, is the core of this year's team. Ingrassia previously won five state titles at nearby Long Beach City College, the most of any California coach. He finished his LBCC career winning the last 55 in a row.
IN THE TOP-25
Prior to Mauricio Ingrassia's arrival, the 49ers were never in the regional polls, let alone the national polls. This year's team for the second straight year was ranked in the top-30 to start the year, ranking a pre-season high of No. 25 in Soccer Buzz' annual poll. The 49ers were as high as No. 21 last season. The team's No. 8 regional ranking was one spot away from the program's best mark, set last year. This is the second week LBSU is out of the polls.
BIG GAME SILOS
Junior forward Kim Silos (Ontario), the Big West's Offensive Player of the Year, continues to add to her record for game-winners, as her latest triumph in the 105th minute after Oklahoma tied it in the 87th, was her 11th of her career. Silos is the team leader in points again this year, thanks to three goals last year, coming into the week with nine points. Silos is just 10 goals away from the all-time record (33).
SEEING DOUBLE?
When the 49ers start out a match, opponents may be thinking they are seeing double, but instead are seeing freshman twins Grace and Caroline Shevlin (San Diego) starting in the backfield. Grace has started all seven matches this year, while Caroline has started three.
MYERS JUMP STARTS OFFENSE
Despite not starting a match this year, redshirt freshman Nikki Myers (Chula Vista) is the co-leader in goals with three and second on the team in overall points (7). Myers was the all-time leading scorer at her high school, and third all-time in CIF history (136).
TRIO ORGANIZES THE MIDDLE
For some, there are three different ways to get to LBSU and now one set midfield for the 49ers. Hayley Bolt (Lakewood) is the resident veteran, as the defending Big West Midfielder of the Year, while Mariko Strickland (Anahola, HI), also a junior, came in last semester after two years at San Diego State. The newest member of the starting midfielder is freshman Lindsay Bullock (Manhattan Beach), a two-time league MVP.
INJURIES TRADE OFF FOR 49ERS
While All-Big West forward Sahar Haghan (Palmdale) continues to return to form following a leg injury, LBSU's starting defender, Julie Megorden (Los Alamitos) missed Sunday and most of Friday's matches following a knee injury. Megorden remains day-to-day. Haghdan has upped her minute to about a third of the match.
RECORD BREAKING COUPLE OF YEARS
The 49ers have had the two best seasons in school history, going 12-5-3 in 2005 and 14-5-1 in 2006. Both times they broke the school record for victories and shutouts, as the team has produced 26 scoreless contests over two-plus seasons. They just missed the NCAA Tournament in 2006 after winning the Big West's regular season title.
PICKED TO WIN IT AGAIN
The defending Big West regular season champions are picked to repeat and win the conference championship, according to the conference coaches. The 49ers, who were 5-1-1 in conference play, received five of the nine first place votes and 77 points overall. Cal Poly, which upset the 49ers in the first round of the Big West Tournament in Long Beach, and UC Santa Barbara, also a Big West Tournament team, were picked to finish second with 63 points (two first place votes).
RETURNING TALENT
The 49ers return four all-conference players and a number of players with significant experience in 2007. Along with Silos and Bolt, Sahar Haghdan (Palmdale) joined the duo on the first team, while Dana Farquhar (Redlands) was named to the second team. Seven players have 40 or more caps to their credit, including defensive midfielder Sara Baca (Ventura), goalkeeper Liz Ramos (Bakersfield) and seniors Amanda Perry (Fresno) and Katelyn Quaresma (Manteca). Also returning to a revamped starting backfield is defender Julie Megorden (Los Alamitos).
STINGY ON DEFENSE
The Beach have twice posted shutout records over the past two season, breaking their own record in 2005 with 14 in 2006. Junior Liz Ramos (Bakersfield) entered the season with a record 0.64 goals against average.
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