Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers to Open Season on Friday at Home
8/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 20, 2008
LONG BEACH-- Long Beach State Women's Soccer, winners of the last two Big West regular season titles, will open up the 2008 campaign against West Coast Conference Gonzaga on Friday at 1 p.m.
The 49ers return 10 of 11 starters from a team that went 13-7-0 last season. LBSU was picked to finish second in the Big West, a point behind UC Santa Barbara. Mauricio Ingrassia, who has built the team into a strong regional power, is in his fifth year.
Amongst the 10 starters returning are former Big West Players of the Year, Kim Silos and Hayley Bolt and fellow All-Big West picks, Sahar Haghdan, Dana Farquhar, Kristen Kiefer, Mariko Strickland and Sara Baca. This year's team features 11 seniors, and eight players who have played the last four years under Ingrassia at LBSU. All-time leading shutout leader and goalkeeper, Liz Ramos, also returns.
A small recruiting class features just six incoming players, with Shawna Gordon (Rancho Cucamonga) being the most highly touted. A top-75 recruit, Gordon was a member of the U17 U.S. National Team. The team's underclassmen also include Kiefer, a sophomore and second team All-Big West pick, and starting midfielder Lindsay Bullock.
Gonzaga is coming off their fifth-straight 10-win season and a record-tying 12-win season in 2007. Shannon Stiles is in her 10th year at the helm of the program, as she returns six starters from a team that went 12-7-1 last year.
