Long Beach State University Athletics
LBSU Women's Soccer Reveals 2016 Schedule
5/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
2016 Long Beach State Women's Soccer Schedule 
LONG BEACH - Long Beach State women's soccer head coach Mauricio Ingrassia has announced LBSU's schedule for the upcoming 2016 fall campaign. The Beach will play nine of its 10 non-conference games at George Allen Field, and will face five teams that advanced to the postseason last year.
The 49ers' home slate is highlighted by a visit from 2015 National Champion Penn State, along with NCAA Tournament teams USC and LMU.
"This is one of the best schedules in the country," Ingrassia said. "Our soccer community is proud of our program and we are proud of our fans. This fall they will be treated to some amazing encounters at home and we are preparing ourselves to live up to the legacy of our program."
The Beach will play two exhibition matches at George Allen Field with its alumni game on Aug. 6 and a final tune-up against Air Force on Aug. 12.
Long Beach State officially kicks off the campaign with a six-match homestand as it plays host to SEC member Kentucky (Aug. 19) and Fairfield (Aug. 21) in its season-opening weekend. The 49ers then entertain USC on Aug. 26 and San Diego State on Aug. 29. The Trojans advanced to the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, while the Aztecs have been in the postseason in three of the last four years.
LBSU has a quick turnaround as it continues its challenging schedule with NCAA Sweet 16 participant Loyola Marymount and defending national champion Penn State paying a visit to George Allen Field. Long Beach will take on LMU at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, before facing the Nittany Lions at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 4.
The Beach will play its first road game of the season at UCLA on Friday, Sept. 9. It will be a rematch of the 2015 season opener where the 49ers upset the fourth-ranked Bruins, 1-0.
Long Beach State returns home for two more matches as it takes on DePaul (Sept. 11) and San Diego (Sept. 16), before playing its final non-conference game on the road at BYU (Sept. 24), which has made four-straight NCAA appearances.
The 49ers start Big West play with three games within the friendly confines of George Allen Field. They will entertain UC Irvine (Sept. 30), CSUN (Oct.2) and Cal Poly (Oct. 6) before heading out on a four-match road swing. LBSU then makes its way back home for its regular-season finale against UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 30.
Long Beach State will also host the 2016 Big West Tournament on Nov. 3 and 6.
In 2015, the Beach made its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years. The 49ers also claimed their fourth Big West regular season title and advanced to their second-straight Big West Tournament final. LBSU will return 17 letterwinners and eight starters from that squad, including all-conference selections Ashley Gonzales, Mimi Rangel, Ashton McKeown and Rocio Rodriguez.
