Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State Hosts UC Riverside, Heads to UC Irvine
10/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
UC Riverside (8-6-0, 2-1-0 Big West) at
Long Beach State (8-3-3, 3-0-0 Big West)
Date: Friday, Oct. 16
Time: 7 p.m. (PDT)
Location: George Allen Field (1,000) - Long Beach, Calif.
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Long Beach State (8-3-3, 3-0-0 Big West) at
UC Irvine (5-7-1, 1-1-0 Big West)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Time: 6 p.m. (PDT)
Location: Anteater Stadium (2,500) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN3 | Live Stats | Twitter
Game Notes: Long Beach State 
| UC Riverside | UC Irvine
The first-place Long Beach State women's soccer team looks to continue its perfect Big West start this weekend when it plays host to UC Riverside at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16. The Beach will then make the short trip to UC Irvine for a 6 p.m. contest on Sunday, Oct. 18. The 49ers' match with the Anteaters will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
BEACH TIDBITS
• Long Beach State is in sole possession of first place in the Big West standings at 3-0-0 (9 points).
• With a win on Friday, the Beach would improve to 4-0-0 in Big West play for the first time in school history.
• LBSU has posted three consecutive clean sheets, extending its shutout streak to 288:50.
• The 49ers have nine shutouts and only seven goals allowed in 14 games. They have not conceded a goal since Sept. 26.
• Long Beach State's 0.47 goals against average ranks first in the Big West and ninth in the nation.
• The Beach was the highest-ranked Big West school at No. 26 in Monday's NCAA Women's Soccer RPI.
• LBSU has already matched a program record with seven overtime contests (2-2-3).
• Eight different 49ers have scored this season, with five recording multiple goals.
• Twelve of LBSU's 18 goals have been scored by underclassmen.
• Sophomore forward Ashley Gonzales is tops on the squad with six goals and five game-winners. She has found the back of the net in four of the last five outings.
• Senior center back Melanie Fox has also been an offensive threat as she ranks second on the team with eight points.
• Fox registered the program's first hat trick since 2012 in a 6-0 win over Portland State (Sept. 6).
• The Beach tied a school record in goals (6) and margin of victory (6-0) against the Vikings.
• Junior keeper Ashton McKeown set a program record with her fourth career Big West Defensive Player of the Week award on Oct. 12. She ranks among the best in the nation with a 0.48 goals against average (14th) and an .877 save percentage (15th).
• Fox was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week, while McKeown was an honorable mention selection (Oct. 13).
IN THE RANKINGS
LBSU was receiving votes in the NSCAA National Poll for the fifth-straight week. The 49ers, who have been ranked as high as No. 23, have been featured in each of this year's eight regular-season polls. The Beach was also third in the NSCAA West Region rankings, receiving votes in the Top Drawer Soccer National Poll, and came in at No. 26 in the NCAA RPI.
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside (8-6-0, 2-1-0 Big West) notched a pair of conference wins last week, defeating Hawai'i, 2-1, and UC Davis, 3-1, in Riverside. Senior forward Tyler Cunningham leads the Highlanders with six goals and 15 points, while junior midfielder Blanca Barrio has a team-best six assists. Senior Elizabeth Silas is UCR's starting keeper, registering four shutouts and a 0.92 goals against average.
SERIES RECORD
Long Beach State leads the all-time series, 7-4-4, but will be looking to end a two-game skid against UC Riverside. The Highlanders emerged with a 1-0 victory in the last meeting between the two teams on Nov. 2, 2014, in Riverside.
A GLANCE AT UC IRVINE
UC Irvine (5-7-1, 1-1-0 Big West) suffered a 2-0 loss at CSUN in its last outing on Oct. 8. The Anteaters will face Cal State Fullerton on Friday before hosting the Beach. Junior forward Tatyana Garrett has a team-best two goals, while sophomore forward Kiana Palacios is tops on the squad with five points (1 goal, 3 assists).
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine leads the all-time series, 11-8-4, but the 49ers have not lost to the Anteaters since 2012. The two teams played to a 1-1 double-overtime draw in Long Beach last year, while LBSU came away with a 2-1 win at UCI in 2013.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
Long Beach State had an extremely tough non-conference schedule as eight of its 11 opponents were featured in the NSCAA National Poll at least once this season (including teams that were receiving votes). The Beach went 2-3-3 in those games, with signature 1-0 wins over No. 4 UCLA and No. 21 DePaul. The 49ers also battled USC, which had been ranked as high as 15th, to a scoreless draw. In addition, two of LBSU's adversaries are currently among the top-15 in the NCAA RPI rankings (No. 3 Auburn and No. 15 BYU).
HOME SWEET HOME
Over the last 11-plus years, Long Beach State has been dominant at home, compiling an impressive 70-24-17 record (.707) at George Allen Field. The Beach had a program-best 10-1-0 home record in 2011.
SUPER SOPHOMORE
There hasn't been any sophomore slump for forward Ashley Gonzales as the 2014 Soccer America Freshman All-American is tops on the squad with six goals, five of which have been game-winners. Most recently, Gonzales netted the lone goal in the 76th minute of a 1-0 win at UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 8). That came after a dominant performance in a 1-0 overtime victory against Cal State Fullerton where she finished with a career-high eight shots and scored the golden goal at the 92:25 mark. Her first tally of the year came in the 67th minute of a 1-0 season-opening victory over No. 4 UCLA. Gonzales now has 15 career goals, putting her one away from entering the LBSU record books.
MCKEOWN ON THE RISE
Junior Ashton McKeown ranks first in the Big West and 14th in the country with a 0.48 goals against average. She has yet to concede a goal in conference play as she blanked three of the league's top offensive teams in Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. In non-conference action, she posted clean sheets against two ranked opponents, with 1-0 victories over then No. 4 UCLA and No. 21 DePaul. The 2014 Big West Goalkeeper of the Year also kept USC, San Diego and Bucknell off the scoreboard, while combining with Cynthia Diaz to shut out Portland State. McKeown currently ranks first in the Big West in goals against average (0.48) and save percentage (.877), and is second in shutouts (8). She was named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week on Sept. 22, and was an honorable mention selection on Aug. 25 and Oct. 13.
MIGHTY MOUSE
Junior midfielder Mimi Rangel has been a force to be reckoned with since she first stepped onto the pitch at George Allen Field as a freshman in 2013. She has started all but one game during her time at Long Beach State, amassing nine goals, 12 assists, 30 points and 104 shot attempts. This year, the Chino, Calif., native has registered one goal and two assists. Rangel is the reigning Big West Midfielder of the Year, and is a two-time first-team all-conference selection. In addition, she was named to the 2014 NSCAA All-West Region Second Team, while also being tabbed the 2013 Big West Freshman of the Year.
ROBLES ON THE ATTACK
Senior forward Vania Robles sparked the Long Beach State offense in their recent Central Coast road trip. Robles scored an insurance goal in the 75th minute of a 2-0 win at Cal Poly and then had the game-winning assist in a 1-0 victory at UC Santa Barbara. She now ranks third on the team with six points (2 goals, 2 assists).
FRESHMEN MAKING NOISE
Of the nine active freshmen on the 49ers' roster, six have seen playing time and five have made multiple starts. Leading the group on the stat sheet are defender Alyssa Alvarez and forward Fatmata Kamara, who are tied for third on the team with two goals each. Both of Kamara's tallies were game-winners as she notched the golden goal in a 1-0 overtime victory vs. Bucknell and struck first in a 2-0 triumph at Cal Poly. Midfielder Rocio Rodriguez also has a goal and an assist in her first year at the Beach.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Long Beach State will stay on the road next week, heading to CSUN on Thursday, Oct. 22, before returning to the friendly confines of George Allen Field to host Hawai'i on Sunday, Oct. 25.
