Thursday, August 18
Long Beach, Calif.
7 P.M. PT
Long Beach State University
vs
Pacific
Photo by: Zac BonDurant zacbondurantphoto.com All Rights Reserved
Long Beach State Set to Open Season Hosting Pacific, No. 15 USC
8/17/2022 11:40:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Women’s Soccer season officially begins this week with two home matches at George Allen Field.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Long Beach State women's soccer team officially opens their 2022 season this week. They will host the University of the Pacific on Thursday for the opener and welcome No. 15 ranked USC on Sunday.
Thursday, August 18
Long Beach State vs. Pacific
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: George Allen Field (Long Beach, Calif.)
Live Stats: beachlivestats.com
Live Stream: longbeachstate.com/watch
Sunday, August 21
Long Beach State vs. #15/18 USC
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: George Allen Field (Long Beach, Calif.)
Live Stats: beachlivestats.com
Live Stream: longbeachstate.com/watch
EXHIBITION WEEK
• The Beach kicked off their fall with a pair of exhibition games last week. On Wednesday, they shutout California Baptist 1-0 and ended the week with a 2-2 draw against Arizona State.
• Against CBU, Lena Silano picked up where she left off in 2021 with the unassisted game-winning goal in the 25th minute.
• In the game at ASU, Long Beach jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from Felicia Jastre Hogberg in the 3rd minute and Sara Ybarra in the 50th minute. Unfortunately, the Sun Devils would come back to tie it forcing a draw late in the game.
TO BE THE BEST, YOU MUST BEAT THE BEST
• Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia is known for setting up a high quality schedule against some of the best teams in the country. That is no different for 2022 as WoSoIndependent.com had Long Beach State with a top ten toughest schedule in the nation.
• Of the preseason rankings, the Beach are scheduled to play two teams in the preseason Top 25 (USC, Pepperdine) and another receiving votes (Harvard). Including those three, they will play six teams that posted a .600 win percentage in 2021 and five that made the NCAA Postseason.
ABOUT LAST YEAR
• Long Beach State posted a 9-7-2 overall record and a 6-3-1 mark in Big West play during the 2021 season. They finished fifth in the conference standings with 19 total points.
• As a team, they ranked sixth in goals per game at 1.056 with 19 goals in 18 games. On the defensive side, they led the league in goals against and save percentage.
BEST DEFENSE IN THE BIG WEST
• The Beach defense never surrendered more than two goals in a single-game last year and only had three matches allowing two goals on their way to a league-leading 0.854 goals against average. That mark also ranked 50th in the nation.
• Further, the combo of Morgan Houston-Shepherd and Zora Standifer combined for an .832 save percentage which led the conference and ranked 37th in the NCAA.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Last year's squad saw themselves traveling a lot, playing 11 total matches on the road where they were dominant, posting a 7-2-2 mark away from George Allen Field.
• The seven road wins tied the most in a single-season in program history, matching the 7-2 away record set back in 2008.
• That trend has already continued in 2022 with a win and a draw in their two road exhibition games last week.
PRESEASON NATIONAL HONORS
• After a historic 2021 campaign, Lena Silano has been named to United Soccer Coaches' preseason forwards watch list. She is one of just 41 athletes selected and one of just two from the Big West Conference.
• Felicia Jastré Högberg is also garnering national attention earning a spot on Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Freshman Best XI. The list acknowledges the best athletes at each position making her a top three freshman forward in the country.
SILANO'S HISTORIC SEASON
• Senior Lena Silano was other-worldly last season scoring 11 of the team's 19 goals, including 6 game-winners. In single-season history, she tied for second most game-winning goals and multi-goal games, tied for fifth most in goals scored, and ranked tied for seventh in total points. She also recorded the third most shots in a season with 74.
• The Aguora Hills native became the second fastest in program history (in terms of fewest games) to 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 goals as well as 20 points in a season.
THE RETURN OF ACE
• Not a new recruit, but a huge part of the backline that returns in 2022 is Elysia Laramie. A 2018 All-Big West Freshman Team selection and 2019 All-Big West First Team selection, she is expected to return as the leader of the Beach defense.
• After missing 2020 due to COVID and 2021 due to a torn ACL, she will see her first minutes in nearly three years.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR ENCORE
• Midfielder Maddy Perez is back for her second year at the Beach after becoming the first Big West Freshman of the Year since 2016. She was also an All-Big West First Team and All-Freshman Team selection.
• In her first season, she was versatile serving as a key piece in the Beach midfield while also spending time on the back line. For the year, she registered her first career goal along with three assists.
KEY RETURNERS
• In total the Beach will have 14 returners along with 3 redshirts on their roster this season. Of those 14, six made at least 10 starts last year.
• Aimee Medwin is back after starting 16 of the 18 matches last season. The Australia native is expected to occupy a spot on the back line once again this year.
• Summer Laskey and Aleea Caceres each had 10 starts in 2021 are back again while Sophie Jones made 8 starts, but after a big spring is expected to be a key piece up front.
THE NEW RECRUITS
• This year's recruiting class is one catching national attention, ranking #32 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. The group includes one forward, four midfielders, and three defenders.
• Cherrie Cox is the headliner of the eight, coming from West Torrance HS. The midfielder is considered a five-star recruit and is coming off back-to-back seasons where she set the record for most goals at her high school.
• Along with Cox in the midfield are Julia Moore, Nani Kia'aina, and a transfer from the University of Arizona, Tianna Sidtikun. Moore garnered some hardware in high school, winning the 2022-23 Player of the Year as well as the SCCAL Midfielder of the Year.
• The defenders in the class are Japan product Kana Uchida, Litzy Morales, and Taylor Freitas. Uchida (Japan) and Morales (Mexico) bring high-level experience to the Beach with both spending multiple years with their respective national teams.
• The lone forward is another international recruit, Felicia Jastré Högberg from Sweden. In two years with division two IFK Fjaras, she scored 36 goals in 22 games, including a career-day with six goals in one game.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
• Pacific posted a 10-6-3 overall record last season and a 2-5-2 mark in West Coast Conference play, finishing eighth in their conference standings.
• They outscored their opponents 22-20 for the year and owned a 42.8% shot on goal percentage. Defensively, they had a 1.05 goals against average while posting a 0.815 save percentage.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
• USC enters the season in the preseason Top 25, ranking #15 according to the United Soccer Coaches poll and #18 by Top Drawer Soccer.
• In their lone exhibition game of the preseason, they fell 2-0 to #17/22 Pepperdine.
• Last year, they posted a 14-3-3 overall record and an 8-1-2 conference mark to finish second in the loaded PAC-12 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Averaging 2.80 goals per game, the Trojans outscored their opponents 56-20 last season with a 44.9% shot-on goal percentage. Defensively, they allowed just one goal per game while registering a 0.765 save percentage.
Single-game tickets are on sale for the 2022 season and can be purchased at longbeachstate.com/WS22. Fans can also call/text the ticketing office at (562)985-4949 or email LBSUtickets@csulb.edu
Thursday, August 18
Long Beach State vs. Pacific
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: George Allen Field (Long Beach, Calif.)
Live Stats: beachlivestats.com
Live Stream: longbeachstate.com/watch
Sunday, August 21
Long Beach State vs. #15/18 USC
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: George Allen Field (Long Beach, Calif.)
Live Stats: beachlivestats.com
Live Stream: longbeachstate.com/watch
EXHIBITION WEEK
• The Beach kicked off their fall with a pair of exhibition games last week. On Wednesday, they shutout California Baptist 1-0 and ended the week with a 2-2 draw against Arizona State.
• Against CBU, Lena Silano picked up where she left off in 2021 with the unassisted game-winning goal in the 25th minute.
• In the game at ASU, Long Beach jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from Felicia Jastre Hogberg in the 3rd minute and Sara Ybarra in the 50th minute. Unfortunately, the Sun Devils would come back to tie it forcing a draw late in the game.
TO BE THE BEST, YOU MUST BEAT THE BEST
• Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia is known for setting up a high quality schedule against some of the best teams in the country. That is no different for 2022 as WoSoIndependent.com had Long Beach State with a top ten toughest schedule in the nation.
• Of the preseason rankings, the Beach are scheduled to play two teams in the preseason Top 25 (USC, Pepperdine) and another receiving votes (Harvard). Including those three, they will play six teams that posted a .600 win percentage in 2021 and five that made the NCAA Postseason.
ABOUT LAST YEAR
• Long Beach State posted a 9-7-2 overall record and a 6-3-1 mark in Big West play during the 2021 season. They finished fifth in the conference standings with 19 total points.
• As a team, they ranked sixth in goals per game at 1.056 with 19 goals in 18 games. On the defensive side, they led the league in goals against and save percentage.
BEST DEFENSE IN THE BIG WEST
• The Beach defense never surrendered more than two goals in a single-game last year and only had three matches allowing two goals on their way to a league-leading 0.854 goals against average. That mark also ranked 50th in the nation.
• Further, the combo of Morgan Houston-Shepherd and Zora Standifer combined for an .832 save percentage which led the conference and ranked 37th in the NCAA.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Last year's squad saw themselves traveling a lot, playing 11 total matches on the road where they were dominant, posting a 7-2-2 mark away from George Allen Field.
• The seven road wins tied the most in a single-season in program history, matching the 7-2 away record set back in 2008.
• That trend has already continued in 2022 with a win and a draw in their two road exhibition games last week.
PRESEASON NATIONAL HONORS
• After a historic 2021 campaign, Lena Silano has been named to United Soccer Coaches' preseason forwards watch list. She is one of just 41 athletes selected and one of just two from the Big West Conference.
• Felicia Jastré Högberg is also garnering national attention earning a spot on Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Freshman Best XI. The list acknowledges the best athletes at each position making her a top three freshman forward in the country.
SILANO'S HISTORIC SEASON
• Senior Lena Silano was other-worldly last season scoring 11 of the team's 19 goals, including 6 game-winners. In single-season history, she tied for second most game-winning goals and multi-goal games, tied for fifth most in goals scored, and ranked tied for seventh in total points. She also recorded the third most shots in a season with 74.
• The Aguora Hills native became the second fastest in program history (in terms of fewest games) to 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 goals as well as 20 points in a season.
THE RETURN OF ACE
• Not a new recruit, but a huge part of the backline that returns in 2022 is Elysia Laramie. A 2018 All-Big West Freshman Team selection and 2019 All-Big West First Team selection, she is expected to return as the leader of the Beach defense.
• After missing 2020 due to COVID and 2021 due to a torn ACL, she will see her first minutes in nearly three years.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR ENCORE
• Midfielder Maddy Perez is back for her second year at the Beach after becoming the first Big West Freshman of the Year since 2016. She was also an All-Big West First Team and All-Freshman Team selection.
• In her first season, she was versatile serving as a key piece in the Beach midfield while also spending time on the back line. For the year, she registered her first career goal along with three assists.
KEY RETURNERS
• In total the Beach will have 14 returners along with 3 redshirts on their roster this season. Of those 14, six made at least 10 starts last year.
• Aimee Medwin is back after starting 16 of the 18 matches last season. The Australia native is expected to occupy a spot on the back line once again this year.
• Summer Laskey and Aleea Caceres each had 10 starts in 2021 are back again while Sophie Jones made 8 starts, but after a big spring is expected to be a key piece up front.
THE NEW RECRUITS
• This year's recruiting class is one catching national attention, ranking #32 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. The group includes one forward, four midfielders, and three defenders.
• Cherrie Cox is the headliner of the eight, coming from West Torrance HS. The midfielder is considered a five-star recruit and is coming off back-to-back seasons where she set the record for most goals at her high school.
• Along with Cox in the midfield are Julia Moore, Nani Kia'aina, and a transfer from the University of Arizona, Tianna Sidtikun. Moore garnered some hardware in high school, winning the 2022-23 Player of the Year as well as the SCCAL Midfielder of the Year.
• The defenders in the class are Japan product Kana Uchida, Litzy Morales, and Taylor Freitas. Uchida (Japan) and Morales (Mexico) bring high-level experience to the Beach with both spending multiple years with their respective national teams.
• The lone forward is another international recruit, Felicia Jastré Högberg from Sweden. In two years with division two IFK Fjaras, she scored 36 goals in 22 games, including a career-day with six goals in one game.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
• Pacific posted a 10-6-3 overall record last season and a 2-5-2 mark in West Coast Conference play, finishing eighth in their conference standings.
• They outscored their opponents 22-20 for the year and owned a 42.8% shot on goal percentage. Defensively, they had a 1.05 goals against average while posting a 0.815 save percentage.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
• USC enters the season in the preseason Top 25, ranking #15 according to the United Soccer Coaches poll and #18 by Top Drawer Soccer.
• In their lone exhibition game of the preseason, they fell 2-0 to #17/22 Pepperdine.
• Last year, they posted a 14-3-3 overall record and an 8-1-2 conference mark to finish second in the loaded PAC-12 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
• Averaging 2.80 goals per game, the Trojans outscored their opponents 56-20 last season with a 44.9% shot-on goal percentage. Defensively, they allowed just one goal per game while registering a 0.765 save percentage.
Single-game tickets are on sale for the 2022 season and can be purchased at longbeachstate.com/WS22. Fans can also call/text the ticketing office at (562)985-4949 or email LBSUtickets@csulb.edu
Players Mentioned
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