Long Beach State University Athletics
2016 LBSU Women's Soccer Season Preview
8/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
LONG BEACH - The Long Beach State women's soccer team will host Air Force in an exhibition match on Friday, Aug. 12. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. at George Allen Field.
This will mark the first meeting between Long Beach State and Air Force.
Air Force welcomes back 19 letterwinners from its 2015 squad that finished ninth in the Mountain West and went 4-14-1 overall. Junior midfielder Angela Karamanos is the Falcons' top returnee after ranking second on the team with five goals and 11 points last year. She was a second-team All-Mountain West selection.
The Beach, which is coming off a Big West regular-season title and its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years, returns 17 letterwinners and eight starters. Below is an in-depth season preview.
2016 LONG BEACH STATE WOMEN'S SOCCER SEASON PREVIEW
The Long Beach State women's soccer team knows what it takes to win. Coming off the program's fourth Big West regular-season title and fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years, the 2016 squad is ready to not only continue LBSU's championship tradition but to set a new standard at the Beach.
"We have a lot of returnees and a lot of people in our program who know our style of play and who understand the place of this team in the history of our program," 13th-year head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. "They know that this year they have the chance to do something special, so I'm really looking forward to putting it all together."
The 49ers return 17 letterwinners and eight starters from last year's championship team. Ten of those returnees are upperclassmen, including five seniors who will provide a bulk of the leadership.
GOALKEEPERS
Long Beach State welcomes back all three of its goalkeepers from 2015. Senior Ashton McKeown, who started 16 matches, finished with eight shutouts and tied the LBSU single-season record with a 0.62 goals against average. McKeown was sidelined late in the season with an injury but is ready to go in 2016. She enters her final campaign ranked among the Beach career leaders in shutouts (2nd, 18), saves (3rd, 151) and minutes played (3rd, 3652:05)
Sophomore Imani McDonald stepped up in McKeown's absence last year, registering a 4-1-0 record and a 0.74 GAA. She notched her second career solo shutout in the Big West semifinals where Long Beach State defeated UC Riverside, 1-0, in overtime. Senior Cynthia Diaz also made one start in between the pipes and compiled a 0.75 GAA.
DEFENDERS
Although the 49ers lost their two starting center backs to graduation, they have reloaded and are primed to continue their run as one of the top defenses in the nation. Senior Mimi Akaogi looks to lead the group after starting 19 games, primarily at left back. Sophomore defender Sarah Maher also earned the starting nod in 12 matches, including every conference and postseason contest in 2015.
Freshman Chloe Froment, who was a member of the French Youth National Team, will likely enter a starting role at center back after serving a year of residency and training with the Beach during that time. Freshman Malin Lindholm, who hails from Sweden, will also compete for a starting spot. Lindholm brings some height at 5-10 and could see action at midfield as well.
In addition, Long Beach State returns juniors Kayla Lombardo and Allie Emmons, and sophomores Alyssa Alvarez and Hannah De Silva.
MIDFIELDERS
LBSU welcomes back the core of its midfield with seniors Mimi Rangel and Celeste Dominguez returning for their final season. Rangel is a three-time first-team All-Big West selection and ranked third on last year's squad with nine points (2 goals, 5 assists). She has already etched her name in the program's career record books with 15 assists and 113 shots attempts.
Dominguez started 21 of 22 games as a defensive center midfielder in 2015. She played a big role in the 49ers' Big West-leading 12 shutouts, including against USC when she locked down the Trojans' top scorer. Dominguez was named the conference's defensive player of the week for that effort.
Junior Jessica Vincent, along with sophomores Rocio Rodriguez and Jordan Sanders, also bring experience to the midfield position. Vincent started all but one game last year and ranked first on the team with six assists. Rodriguez played in 20 games with nine starts, finishing with one goal and one assist. She was named to the 2015 Big West All-Freshman Team.
In addition, the Beach returns sophomores Ariel Bruss and Dana Fujikuni, while bringing in freshmen Megan McComas and Kristi Williams. Fujikuni sat out last year after transferring from UC Davis.
FORWARDS
Long Beach State is also in excellent shape at the forward position with the return of first-team All-Big West selection Ashley Gonzales. Gonzales, who has led the Beach in scoring in each of her first two seasons, totaled eight goals as a sophomore in 2015. She already ranks among the 49er career leaders in goals (T8th, 17), points (T10th, 37) and game-winning goals (4th, 10).
Junior Tori Bolden also returns to the front line after registering five points on two goals and one assist last year. Junior Paige Conway and freshman Madison Moore are both coming off redshirt seasons, while the highly-touted incoming group of sophomore transfer Hannah Stammer, and freshmen Taylor Bistline, Kaitlin Fregulia, Mackenzie Magaoay and Kailee Prescott will enter the mix.
SCHEDULE
Head coach Mauricio Ingrassia and his staff are known for putting together high-quality non-conference schedules and 2016 may prove to be the toughest one yet.
"I think anybody who knows our program or has followed us understands that we go after the best possible opponents available to us," Ingrassia said. "We have another great year and this is probably the best ever because of the amount of home games. We have 13 home games against some top-notch opponents."
The Beach opens the season with an eight-match homestand, beginning with SEC member Kentucky (Aug. 19) and Fairfield (Aug. 21). 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 to 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 State will square off against LMU on Sept. 2, before facing the Nittany Lions on Sept. 4.
The Beach will also host DePaul (Sept. 11) and San Diego (Sept. 16) before its first road game at UCLA on Sept. 18. The 49ers then close out non-conference play at BYU, which has made four-straight NCAA appearances.
Long Beach State kicks off its eight-game Big West slate within the friendly confines of George Allen Field as it entertains UC Irvine in its conference opener on Sept. 30.
The Beach will also host the Big West Tournament on Nov. 3 and Nov. 6.
