Long Beach State Soccer Playing Two Matches in Dallas This Weekend

Thursday, September 12

Dallas, Texas

2:00 P.M. PT

Long Beach State University

Ole Miss

Photo by: John Fajardo

Long Beach State Soccer Playing Two Matches in Dallas This Weekend

9/10/2019 4:16:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Game Notes (PDF)

Due to the cancellation of the scheduled season opener in Arizona, Long Beach State women’s soccer will be playing its first matches away from home this weekend in the state of Texas. The Beach will play a neutral site match in Dallas on Thursday against Ole Miss, before playing hosts SMU on Sunday.

By: Tyler Hendrickson, Associate Athletic Communications Director

Thursday, September 12
Long Beach State vs. Ole Miss
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Westcott Field (Dallas, Tex.)
Live Stats

Sunday, September 15
Long Beach State at SMU
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Westcott Field (Dallas, Tex.)
Watch: SMUMustangs.com | Live Stats

BEFORE KICKOFF
• Long Beach State played three games last week to finish off a five-match homestand, going 2-1-0. The week started with a 2-1 win over San Diego in double overtime on Labor Day. Junior Kayla Cannon scored the game-winning goal with less than two minutes left to play.

• The Beach then suffered a 2-1 loss against Nebraska, the second Big Ten opponent of the season for Long Beach State. Junior Kaylee Ramirez converted a penalty kick in the 55th minute to put the Beach on the board, but the visiting Cornhuskers responded with a pair of goals to take the win.

• LBSU closed the week with a 3-0 victory over Drexel on Sunday afternoon. It was LBSU's first clean sheet of the season as goalkeeper Marta Alemany Sanchez made just two saves while shutting out the Dragons. The Beach took the lead in the 43rd minute on a free kick goal from Myah Baksh, who scored the first goal of her LBSU career to give the Beach a halftime lead.

• In the second half, LBSU pulled away with goals from Elysia Laramie in the 66th minute and a goal from Katie Pingel in the 80th minute. Pingel assisted on Laramie's goal with a solid cross on a corner kick, allowing the sophomore to smash the ball home. Later on, Pingel was assisted by Sarah Pilster as she moved past the final defender and chipped the ball over the Drexel keeper for the 3-0 lead.

• Long Beach State has had seven different goal scorers so far this season, with four different players picking up at least one assist. Katie Pingel leads the Beach with one goal and two assists, which all came during last week's games. Seventeen different players have attempted a shot so far for LBSU, led by Kayla Cannon and Lena Silano with eight apiece. Against Drexel, 15 different players took a shot for the Beach with 11 of them putting at least one shot on frame.

• This week, LBSU is receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll for the second time this season. Both opponents this weekend--Ole Miss and SMU--are also receiving votes this week, just ahead of the Beach.

SCOUTING THE REBELS
• Ole Miss has started the season 5-1, with its lone setback coming in a 3-1 loss at Memphis. The Rebels are on a four-match winning streak which includes consecutive road wins. Ole Miss defeated Western Kentucky 1-0 in double overtime before winning a 5-4 shootout at Murray State last Sunday.

• After reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, Ole Miss was picked to finish eighth in the Southeastern Conference this year. The Rebels had three players named to the SEC Preseason Watch List: Grace Johnson, Channing Foster, and Haleigh Stackpole. So far this year, Foster leads the team with five goals and 32 shots. Her goal total is buoyed by a perfect 3-for-3 mark in penalty kicks.

SERIES RECORD vs. OLE MISS
• This is the first ever meeting between the Beach and the Rebels in women's soccer. Long Beach State has a 3-4-1 all-time record against current members of the SEC.

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
• SMU has started the season 4-1, with its only loss coming to TCU, 1-0. The Mustangs have outscored their opponents 16-2, including a 9-0 thumping of Texas Southern. After starting the season 3-0, SMU was ranked No. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and is still receiving votes in the poll.

• The Mustangs were picked to finish fourth in the American Athletic Conference, with Allie Thornton and Courtney Sebazco named to the Preseason All-AAC team. Thornton leads the team with six goals this season, including all four of the team's goals in its 4-0 win over Northern Colorado last Friday. Thornton had a first-half hat trick before adding her fourth with less than two minutes to play.

SERIES RECORD vs. SMU
• Long Beach State won its only meeting against the Mustangs, winning 1-0 last season at George Allen Field. Junior Nadiyah Siqueiros scored the winner for the Beach in the 57th minute.

LOOK WHO'S BACK
• Buoyed by the return of 2017 Big West Defensive Player of the Year Kaitlin Fregulia, the Beach boasts an experienced back line. Juniors Sarah Pilster and Kaylee Ramirez have a combined 77 appearances over their first two years on campus. Santa Clara transfer Myah Baksh joins the ranks and should partner nicely with Fregulia at center back.

• In the midfield, the Beach will be looking to talented sophomores Sierra Castles and Charlotte Guillory to take the next step in their development and become facilitators for the Beach. Senior Taylor Bistline provides veteran leadership and was a Preseason All-Conference selection. In the junior class, Nadiyah Siqueiros has made strides during the offseason and should be a key contributor for the Beach, while Kayla Cannon provides valuable pace and playmaking ability on the outside.

• Up front, LBSU has a pair of Preseason All-Conference selections in senior Katie Pingel and sophomore Elysia Laramie. Pingel is LBSU's leading returning scorer after netting four times last season. She has made 38 starts over the past two seasons with the Beach and will likely need to shoulder more of the scoring load after the departure of Long Beach State's career scoring leader Ashley Gonzales and 2018 Big West Midfielder of the Year Dana Fujikuni. Laramie was an All-Freshman Team selection after scoring twice last season. The sophomore forward was also the first player on the scoresheet in LBSU's scrimmage win over FC Golden State, scoring in the third minute.

• Long Beach State will need to replace goalkeeper Imani McDonald, who made 39 starts between the posts in her four years on campus. Top candidates are redshirt sophomore Ashley Seymour, who impressed against the Argentina National Team on LBSU's foreign tour to France this summer, and transfer Marta Alemany Sanchez, who has experience with the Spanish Youth National Team. LBSU also has depth in goal with freshmen Abigail Trengove and Morgan Houston-Shepherd.

WELCOME TO THE BEACH
• In addition to Baksh and Alemany Sanchez, LBSU also adds transfer Amanda Jones from Arizona State. The Long Beach native played in 22 games over her first two seasons in Tempe. LBSU also has a talented freshman class on campus with Aleea Caceres, Jillian Hiraga, Sam Encarnado, Alexis Komisza, Amanda Meichtry and Emily Jauregui joining the Beach this season.

PARIS TRIP
• Prior to the season, the Long Beach State women's soccer team went on a foreign tour to France for the 2019 Women's World Cup. The Beach played a pair of exhibition matches against the Argentina National Team during an 11-day trip to Paris and surrounding cities. LBSU then witnessed the Argentines earn their first Women's World Cup point during a 0-0 draw with Japan at the Parc de Princes. The Beach capped off the trip in Reims, France where the team witnessed Team USA's historic 13-0 victory over Thailand in their World Cup opener.