Long Beach State University Athletics
Fujikuni, Maher, Ingrassia Claim Top Honors In Big West
10/31/2018 12:54:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Six players earned All-Big West honors after winning the regular season championship.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Seniors Dana Fujikuni and Sarah Maher were named Big West Player of the Year for their positions respectively, and head coach Mauricio Ingrassia was named the Big West Coach of the Year for the second time of his career after Beach soccer claimed the outright 2018 championship.
Fujikuni, a three-time All-Big West selection for Long Beach State, continued a line of LBSU greats winning Midfielder of the Year. Starting every game this season for Long Beach State, Fujikuni was second on the team in points with 12, scoring four goals and leading the team with four assists on the season while sparking the Beach attack.
In the back line, Maher was the second straight Beach defender to earn Defensive Player of the Year, following Kaitlin Fregulia who won in 2017. Maher started all 18 games for the Beach and led the team in minutes played on the year, averaging over 90 minutes per game while helping the Long Beach State defense hold opponents to a 1.06 goals against average.
Both players were named first-team All-Big West as well for the first time, joining forward Ashley Gonzales who was picked to the first team for the third time after scoring six goals this season, leading Long Beach State.
Mauricio Ingrassia rounded out the top awards with a second Big West Coach of the Year honor of his career, after leading The Beach reached 10 wins for the third time in the last four years against one of the strongest schedules in the nation, and defended George Allen Field to a 8-1-1 mark in 2018. The Beach earned their first regular season championship since 2015.
Other honorees for Long Beach State included Katie Pingel, Taylor Bistline and Elysia Laramie. A junior, Pingel earned second-team honors for the second straight season after scoring four goals and coming in third on the team with 10 points in 2018.
Bistline took home her first conference honors after a solid season in the midfield. Starting every game, Bistline scored a pair of game-winning goals for Long Beach State in 2018, totaling seven points in all in her most prolific season to date at the Beach.
Finally, Laramie was added to Big West All-Freshman team. Laramie led the Beach in points during Big West Conference play, and finished the year with two goals and two assists while playing in all 18 contests in her first season.
Long Beach State begins their postseason run on Thursday, November 1 when they face UC Davis in the Big West Tournament semifinals in Irvine.
Fujikuni, a three-time All-Big West selection for Long Beach State, continued a line of LBSU greats winning Midfielder of the Year. Starting every game this season for Long Beach State, Fujikuni was second on the team in points with 12, scoring four goals and leading the team with four assists on the season while sparking the Beach attack.
In the back line, Maher was the second straight Beach defender to earn Defensive Player of the Year, following Kaitlin Fregulia who won in 2017. Maher started all 18 games for the Beach and led the team in minutes played on the year, averaging over 90 minutes per game while helping the Long Beach State defense hold opponents to a 1.06 goals against average.
Both players were named first-team All-Big West as well for the first time, joining forward Ashley Gonzales who was picked to the first team for the third time after scoring six goals this season, leading Long Beach State.
Mauricio Ingrassia rounded out the top awards with a second Big West Coach of the Year honor of his career, after leading The Beach reached 10 wins for the third time in the last four years against one of the strongest schedules in the nation, and defended George Allen Field to a 8-1-1 mark in 2018. The Beach earned their first regular season championship since 2015.
Other honorees for Long Beach State included Katie Pingel, Taylor Bistline and Elysia Laramie. A junior, Pingel earned second-team honors for the second straight season after scoring four goals and coming in third on the team with 10 points in 2018.
Bistline took home her first conference honors after a solid season in the midfield. Starting every game, Bistline scored a pair of game-winning goals for Long Beach State in 2018, totaling seven points in all in her most prolific season to date at the Beach.
Finally, Laramie was added to Big West All-Freshman team. Laramie led the Beach in points during Big West Conference play, and finished the year with two goals and two assists while playing in all 18 contests in her first season.
Long Beach State begins their postseason run on Thursday, November 1 when they face UC Davis in the Big West Tournament semifinals in Irvine.
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