Sunday, October 29
Long Beach, Calif.
6 p.m.
Long Beach State University
vs
UC Irvine
Photo by: Diego Devia @Devia.Img
Women's Soccer Begins Postseason Play By Hosting UC Irving In Opening Round Sunday
10/28/2023 12:10:00 PM | Women's Soccer
The Black and Blue Rivalry takes center stage as the postseason begins.
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The Black and Blue Rivalry will return to George Allen Field as the Big West's fourth seed hosts the fifth-seeded Anteaters in the opening round of the 2023 Big West Championship.
EYES ON THE POSTSEASON
• The teams will square off at 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 29 at 6 p.m. with the winner advancing to face Cal State Fullerton in Titan Stadium next Thursday.
BIG ON OFFENSE
• Long Beach State closes the regular season as the league's top scoring team, averaging nearly two goals per game and scoring 10 more on the year than their nearest competitor.
• The Beach also reached the 10-win mark for the first time since 2018, and for the 14th time in school history while advancing to the Big West tournament for the 12th time, all coming under current head coach Mauricio Ingrassia.
SCINTILLATING SOPHOMORE
• Sophomore Cherrie Cox was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Year, joining an elite list of LBSU stars to earn the conference's top award with Kim Silos, Nadia Link, Ashley Gonzales and last year's winner, Lena Silano. She was also one of three players named to the All-Big West First Team.
• Cox leads both the Beach and the Big West with 13 goals so far this season, a mark that is tied for fourth all-time in single season history at LBSU and ranks ninth nationally entering the weekend.
• With this year's postseason plus two more years to play in front the sophomore, Cox is already tied for ninth place in career goals scored at Long Beach State.
• A two-time Big West Player of the Week, Cox earned the final honor of the year after her brace Thursday night against Hawai'i to help seal the fourth seed and a home game for LBSU in the postseason.
AN ANNIVERSARY YEAR FOR THE BEACH
• The Long Beach State women's soccer team was revived after an 11-year hiatus beginning back in 1987. With its revival in 1998, the upcoming fall season marks the 25th anniversary of Beach soccer since the program was restarted.
• On a similar note, the Beach is also celebrating its 15th anniversary since the program made its first-ever NCAA appearance in 2008. Since then, they have appeared in NCAA Tournaments, including the 2011 Elite Eight. The seven appearances is most in Big West history.
THE INGRASSIA ERA REACHES 20
• Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia will be leading The Beach for the 20th year of his coaching career. In that time, he has posted a 188-128-48 overall record and 79-53-28 mark in Big West games. He has racked up a total of nine Big West titles combining the regular season and postseason to go along with seven NCAA appearances.
• He is currently the third longest tenured coach in The Big West with his overall win total and conference win total ranking third behind Cal Poly's Alex Crozier and UCSB's Paul Stumpf. His .582 win percentage ranks second among active Big West coaches and fifth in league history.
GET SOCIAL WITH US
• Fans can follow all of Long Beach State Athletics on Facebook, X (@lbsuathletics), Instagram (@lbsu), and on Tik Tok (@lbsuathletics).
• The women's soccer team is also on social and can be followed on both X and Instagram at @lbsusoccer.
ABOUT LAST WEEK
• Cherrie Cox scored the first and last goals for Long Beach State in a 4-2 win at home against Hawai'i on Thursday, securing the fourth seed and a home game for Long Beach State.
• Long Beach State has won two straight at George Allen Field and has gone nine unbeaten at home dating back to a heartbreaking defeat in the closing seconds against #13 Texas.
CLIMBING THE RANKS
• Long Beach State continues to flirt with the national rankings, having spent two weeks receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Division I poll.
• The Beach has also been ranked as high as No. 3 in the West Region poll from United Soccer Coaches, and remains ranked 7th in the region.
• The Beach is also showcasing their development with two players in the latest individual Top Drawer Soccer player ratings. Senior Elysia Laramie was rated as the No. 56 player in the nation, while standout freshman Brooklyn Antonucci came in at No. 36 in the freshman class.
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Sixth year captain Elysia Laramie enjoyed a historic first week to begin her final collegiate season. In the team's two games, she totaled five goals and an assist for an 11-point week with history attached.
• She began the week with a goal and an assist against No. 15 Texas before finding the back of the net four times in the Beach win over Boston College.
• The performance earned her National Player of the Week honors from Top Drawer Soccer headlining their weekly Team of the Week. She was also named this season's first Big West Offensive Player of the Week.
ACE MAKES HISTORY
• As mentioned, Laramie had a historic opening week, primarily against Boston College. In the 4-2 win, the Simi Valley native scored all four goals all of which came in a 15-minute window during the start of the second half.
• The four goal night is the first in program history and Laramie's eight points sets a new single-game record. It is also the twelfth occurrence of a player scoring four-or-more goals in Big West history and first since 2014.
• Laramie is second on the team Long Beach State with eight goals, six assists and 22 points, and is tied with former Beach greats Shawna Gordon and Nichole Hubbard for 10th in school history with 17 career goals.
• Earning All-Big West honors for the second time
MORE WEEK ONE HISTORY
• Cox also made her own history during the season's opening week along with her seven point performance.
• In the season opener, she registered the opening goal against No. 15 Texas in just 41 seconds after the first whistle. It is the fastest goal scored in program history which had been 43 seconds set in 2013.
• Her encore performance for game two came in the makings of a three-assist game against Boston College. It is just the fifth occurrence in program history of the feat and first since 2014.
ANCHOR IN THE BACK
• For the third straight season, junior Maddy Perez both led Long Beach State in minutes played and earned another First Team All-Big West selection. Perez has started 18 games for the Beach and played in 1604 minutes entering the Big West Championship for LBSU.
• The 2021 Big West Freshman of the Year also enjoyed a terrific summer in the WPSL where she was named to the Coastal Division Best XI as well as Defensive Player of the Year honors.
LION TO LBSU
• Sophomore Makayla Demelo joined the Beach as a Division I trasnfer from LMU, and has immediately shined for Long Beach State.
• Playing in all 19 games with 18 starts, Demelo is third on the team in total minutes while contributing a goal and four assists, and earned the respect of the conference as LBSU's third First Team All-Big West selection.
• Demelo played all 17 games last year with 11 starts for the Lions, registering an assist and a 0.417 shot on goal percentage. From a talented family, her sister Savannah played four years at USC and is a current member of the US Women's National Team.
NO SLEEP TIL BROOKLYN
• Starting in 18 games this season for LBSU, true freshman Brooklyn Antonucci earned Second Team All-Big West honors in addition to being named to the Big West All-Freshman team for her efforts this season.
• Second on the team in minutes played, Antonucci shares the team lead with Elysia Laramie with six assists on the year despite starting all of her games on the back line.
• Antonucci claimed two Big West awards after a two assist week in wins over #22 Harvard and Fresno State, nabbing both Big West Freshman of the Week and Defender of the Week September 4.
ZORA'S ZONE
• For the second straight season, Zora Standifer earned Honorable Mention All-Big West honors while serving as Long Beach State's starting goalkeeper.
• After debuting against Boston College this season, Standifer has made 15 starts and 59 saves while posting three shutouts and a 8-5-2 overall record.
• Standifer's latest shutout came at George Allen Field against Cal Poly in a 0-0 draw.
• Across her first two seasons, she totaled nearly 1800 minutes in net in 23 games. In that time, she allowed just 17 goals for a 0.85 goals against average while making 85 saves and posting a 0.833 save percentage.
WE WANT MOORE
• Sophomore Julia Moore is back for her second year in black and gold after a tremendous rookie season in 2022. Starting all 21 games last year, she totaled 1777 minutes which ranked fifth most on the team.
• Moore is one of just three players in 2023 to start every game of the season.
• Moore is currently tied for third in goals on the team this season and scored in three straight games for the Beach against UC Irvine, Northern Colorado and UC Santa Barbara.
SUMMER AT THE BEACH
• A sparkplug off the bench for Long Beach State, in each of the last two seasons, Laskey has nine points for the Beach while starting in 10 games but playing in all 19. Last season, he was tied for the second most points on the team with 15, registering six goals and three assists.
• Laskey played a crucial role in Long Beach State's win at CSUN, scoring the game-winning goal as well as adding an assist and making a defensive clearance off the line to deny the Matadors a chance to go into the lead.
FRESHMEN INTERNATIONAL TALENT
• An international prospect, Kana Uchida comes to the Beach from Japan, and earned Big West All-Freshman Team honors after playing in every game this season for Long Beach State.
• Uchida is now third on the team in minutes played, and was named the Big West Freshman of the Week after a pair of assists against UC Santa Barbara.
• A starting defender for JEF Ichihara Chiba, one of the top club teams in Tokyo, she won a pair of National Club Youth titles and the U-18 National Cup title.
• The rookie also has national team experience, playing for Japan's U-17 National Team in 2021.
• Freshman Julie Lopez is also competing internationally with her country, representing Mexico in their October U20 camp featuring friendlies against Columbia.
CEJA THE STRIKER
• Senior Kassandra Ceja played her first three collegiate years at Fresno State where she etched her name into the record books. Totaling 16 goals, she ranks tenth in program history for goals scored in her career. The striker also added nine assists for a total of 41 points with a .500 shot on goal percentage. Last year, she started 11 of 17 games totaling 11 points.
• Ceja was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week on August 28 after her brace on the road at San Diego State in a 3-0 win over the Aztecs.
GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• One of the top newcomers joining the roster this season is freshman Jordan Candelaria. An attacking midfielder, she was named the New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year at the end of her senior year of high school when she scored 26 goals and 15 assists.
• Originally committed to the University of Cincinnati, she finished high school a semester early, spent the spring season with the Bearcats before transferring to Long Beach this summer.
• Candelaria opened her account with the Beach at Fresno State, scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory.
UNDER THE RADAR
• Multiple other players have made big contributions for the Beach this season.
• Senior Aleea Caceres has started 16 games as a defensive midfielder, playing over 1,000 minutes this year
• First-year Zoe Willis has also worked her way into the starting lineup, making 6 starts in the back line, part of three freshmen starting on the back line for Long Beach State.
PROFESSIONAL BEACH ALUMNI
• The Beach currently have four alumni amongst the professional ranks around the world with Lena Silano playing for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL, Kaitlin Fregulia playing for Xolos Femenil and Marta Alameny Sanchez playing for Queretaro in Mexico, and Aimee Medwin playing for Western United FC in Australia.
• Silano is the second LBSU alum to appear in the NWSL after becoming the second draftee in program history in last year's draft.
SCOUTING THE ANTEATERS
• Long Beach State and UC Irvine opened Big West play at George Allen Field with a 1-1 draw on September 14. Alyssa Moore scored for UC Irvine before the Beach found Julia Moore for an 82nd minute equalizer in a thrilling contest.
• Moore, the Anteaters' leading scorer with six goals on the season was one of two players chosen for First Team All-Big West, joined by junior defender Kiera Smeenge. Goalkeeeper Gio Hinojosa was selected for the second team.
• UC Irvine finished with 13 points in league play, and was tied with Hawai'i but earned the fifth seed by virtue of a 1-0 win in Honolulu. UCI enters Sunday's game with an overall record of 6-7-5 and comes in on a two-game winless streak after a scoreless draw at CSUN and a 1-0 defeat to UC Davis to close the regular season.
EYES ON THE POSTSEASON
• The teams will square off at 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 29 at 6 p.m. with the winner advancing to face Cal State Fullerton in Titan Stadium next Thursday.
BIG ON OFFENSE
• Long Beach State closes the regular season as the league's top scoring team, averaging nearly two goals per game and scoring 10 more on the year than their nearest competitor.
• The Beach also reached the 10-win mark for the first time since 2018, and for the 14th time in school history while advancing to the Big West tournament for the 12th time, all coming under current head coach Mauricio Ingrassia.
SCINTILLATING SOPHOMORE
• Sophomore Cherrie Cox was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Year, joining an elite list of LBSU stars to earn the conference's top award with Kim Silos, Nadia Link, Ashley Gonzales and last year's winner, Lena Silano. She was also one of three players named to the All-Big West First Team.
• Cox leads both the Beach and the Big West with 13 goals so far this season, a mark that is tied for fourth all-time in single season history at LBSU and ranks ninth nationally entering the weekend.
• With this year's postseason plus two more years to play in front the sophomore, Cox is already tied for ninth place in career goals scored at Long Beach State.
• A two-time Big West Player of the Week, Cox earned the final honor of the year after her brace Thursday night against Hawai'i to help seal the fourth seed and a home game for LBSU in the postseason.
AN ANNIVERSARY YEAR FOR THE BEACH
• The Long Beach State women's soccer team was revived after an 11-year hiatus beginning back in 1987. With its revival in 1998, the upcoming fall season marks the 25th anniversary of Beach soccer since the program was restarted.
• On a similar note, the Beach is also celebrating its 15th anniversary since the program made its first-ever NCAA appearance in 2008. Since then, they have appeared in NCAA Tournaments, including the 2011 Elite Eight. The seven appearances is most in Big West history.
THE INGRASSIA ERA REACHES 20
• Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia will be leading The Beach for the 20th year of his coaching career. In that time, he has posted a 188-128-48 overall record and 79-53-28 mark in Big West games. He has racked up a total of nine Big West titles combining the regular season and postseason to go along with seven NCAA appearances.
• He is currently the third longest tenured coach in The Big West with his overall win total and conference win total ranking third behind Cal Poly's Alex Crozier and UCSB's Paul Stumpf. His .582 win percentage ranks second among active Big West coaches and fifth in league history.
GET SOCIAL WITH US
• Fans can follow all of Long Beach State Athletics on Facebook, X (@lbsuathletics), Instagram (@lbsu), and on Tik Tok (@lbsuathletics).
• The women's soccer team is also on social and can be followed on both X and Instagram at @lbsusoccer.
ABOUT LAST WEEK
• Cherrie Cox scored the first and last goals for Long Beach State in a 4-2 win at home against Hawai'i on Thursday, securing the fourth seed and a home game for Long Beach State.
• Long Beach State has won two straight at George Allen Field and has gone nine unbeaten at home dating back to a heartbreaking defeat in the closing seconds against #13 Texas.
CLIMBING THE RANKS
• Long Beach State continues to flirt with the national rankings, having spent two weeks receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Division I poll.
• The Beach has also been ranked as high as No. 3 in the West Region poll from United Soccer Coaches, and remains ranked 7th in the region.
• The Beach is also showcasing their development with two players in the latest individual Top Drawer Soccer player ratings. Senior Elysia Laramie was rated as the No. 56 player in the nation, while standout freshman Brooklyn Antonucci came in at No. 36 in the freshman class.
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Sixth year captain Elysia Laramie enjoyed a historic first week to begin her final collegiate season. In the team's two games, she totaled five goals and an assist for an 11-point week with history attached.
• She began the week with a goal and an assist against No. 15 Texas before finding the back of the net four times in the Beach win over Boston College.
• The performance earned her National Player of the Week honors from Top Drawer Soccer headlining their weekly Team of the Week. She was also named this season's first Big West Offensive Player of the Week.
ACE MAKES HISTORY
• As mentioned, Laramie had a historic opening week, primarily against Boston College. In the 4-2 win, the Simi Valley native scored all four goals all of which came in a 15-minute window during the start of the second half.
• The four goal night is the first in program history and Laramie's eight points sets a new single-game record. It is also the twelfth occurrence of a player scoring four-or-more goals in Big West history and first since 2014.
• Laramie is second on the team Long Beach State with eight goals, six assists and 22 points, and is tied with former Beach greats Shawna Gordon and Nichole Hubbard for 10th in school history with 17 career goals.
• Earning All-Big West honors for the second time
MORE WEEK ONE HISTORY
• Cox also made her own history during the season's opening week along with her seven point performance.
• In the season opener, she registered the opening goal against No. 15 Texas in just 41 seconds after the first whistle. It is the fastest goal scored in program history which had been 43 seconds set in 2013.
• Her encore performance for game two came in the makings of a three-assist game against Boston College. It is just the fifth occurrence in program history of the feat and first since 2014.
ANCHOR IN THE BACK
• For the third straight season, junior Maddy Perez both led Long Beach State in minutes played and earned another First Team All-Big West selection. Perez has started 18 games for the Beach and played in 1604 minutes entering the Big West Championship for LBSU.
• The 2021 Big West Freshman of the Year also enjoyed a terrific summer in the WPSL where she was named to the Coastal Division Best XI as well as Defensive Player of the Year honors.
LION TO LBSU
• Sophomore Makayla Demelo joined the Beach as a Division I trasnfer from LMU, and has immediately shined for Long Beach State.
• Playing in all 19 games with 18 starts, Demelo is third on the team in total minutes while contributing a goal and four assists, and earned the respect of the conference as LBSU's third First Team All-Big West selection.
• Demelo played all 17 games last year with 11 starts for the Lions, registering an assist and a 0.417 shot on goal percentage. From a talented family, her sister Savannah played four years at USC and is a current member of the US Women's National Team.
NO SLEEP TIL BROOKLYN
• Starting in 18 games this season for LBSU, true freshman Brooklyn Antonucci earned Second Team All-Big West honors in addition to being named to the Big West All-Freshman team for her efforts this season.
• Second on the team in minutes played, Antonucci shares the team lead with Elysia Laramie with six assists on the year despite starting all of her games on the back line.
• Antonucci claimed two Big West awards after a two assist week in wins over #22 Harvard and Fresno State, nabbing both Big West Freshman of the Week and Defender of the Week September 4.
ZORA'S ZONE
• For the second straight season, Zora Standifer earned Honorable Mention All-Big West honors while serving as Long Beach State's starting goalkeeper.
• After debuting against Boston College this season, Standifer has made 15 starts and 59 saves while posting three shutouts and a 8-5-2 overall record.
• Standifer's latest shutout came at George Allen Field against Cal Poly in a 0-0 draw.
• Across her first two seasons, she totaled nearly 1800 minutes in net in 23 games. In that time, she allowed just 17 goals for a 0.85 goals against average while making 85 saves and posting a 0.833 save percentage.
WE WANT MOORE
• Sophomore Julia Moore is back for her second year in black and gold after a tremendous rookie season in 2022. Starting all 21 games last year, she totaled 1777 minutes which ranked fifth most on the team.
• Moore is one of just three players in 2023 to start every game of the season.
• Moore is currently tied for third in goals on the team this season and scored in three straight games for the Beach against UC Irvine, Northern Colorado and UC Santa Barbara.
SUMMER AT THE BEACH
• A sparkplug off the bench for Long Beach State, in each of the last two seasons, Laskey has nine points for the Beach while starting in 10 games but playing in all 19. Last season, he was tied for the second most points on the team with 15, registering six goals and three assists.
• Laskey played a crucial role in Long Beach State's win at CSUN, scoring the game-winning goal as well as adding an assist and making a defensive clearance off the line to deny the Matadors a chance to go into the lead.
FRESHMEN INTERNATIONAL TALENT
• An international prospect, Kana Uchida comes to the Beach from Japan, and earned Big West All-Freshman Team honors after playing in every game this season for Long Beach State.
• Uchida is now third on the team in minutes played, and was named the Big West Freshman of the Week after a pair of assists against UC Santa Barbara.
• A starting defender for JEF Ichihara Chiba, one of the top club teams in Tokyo, she won a pair of National Club Youth titles and the U-18 National Cup title.
• The rookie also has national team experience, playing for Japan's U-17 National Team in 2021.
• Freshman Julie Lopez is also competing internationally with her country, representing Mexico in their October U20 camp featuring friendlies against Columbia.
CEJA THE STRIKER
• Senior Kassandra Ceja played her first three collegiate years at Fresno State where she etched her name into the record books. Totaling 16 goals, she ranks tenth in program history for goals scored in her career. The striker also added nine assists for a total of 41 points with a .500 shot on goal percentage. Last year, she started 11 of 17 games totaling 11 points.
• Ceja was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week on August 28 after her brace on the road at San Diego State in a 3-0 win over the Aztecs.
GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• One of the top newcomers joining the roster this season is freshman Jordan Candelaria. An attacking midfielder, she was named the New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year at the end of her senior year of high school when she scored 26 goals and 15 assists.
• Originally committed to the University of Cincinnati, she finished high school a semester early, spent the spring season with the Bearcats before transferring to Long Beach this summer.
• Candelaria opened her account with the Beach at Fresno State, scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory.
UNDER THE RADAR
• Multiple other players have made big contributions for the Beach this season.
• Senior Aleea Caceres has started 16 games as a defensive midfielder, playing over 1,000 minutes this year
• First-year Zoe Willis has also worked her way into the starting lineup, making 6 starts in the back line, part of three freshmen starting on the back line for Long Beach State.
PROFESSIONAL BEACH ALUMNI
• The Beach currently have four alumni amongst the professional ranks around the world with Lena Silano playing for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL, Kaitlin Fregulia playing for Xolos Femenil and Marta Alameny Sanchez playing for Queretaro in Mexico, and Aimee Medwin playing for Western United FC in Australia.
• Silano is the second LBSU alum to appear in the NWSL after becoming the second draftee in program history in last year's draft.
SCOUTING THE ANTEATERS
• Long Beach State and UC Irvine opened Big West play at George Allen Field with a 1-1 draw on September 14. Alyssa Moore scored for UC Irvine before the Beach found Julia Moore for an 82nd minute equalizer in a thrilling contest.
• Moore, the Anteaters' leading scorer with six goals on the season was one of two players chosen for First Team All-Big West, joined by junior defender Kiera Smeenge. Goalkeeeper Gio Hinojosa was selected for the second team.
• UC Irvine finished with 13 points in league play, and was tied with Hawai'i but earned the fifth seed by virtue of a 1-0 win in Honolulu. UCI enters Sunday's game with an overall record of 6-7-5 and comes in on a two-game winless streak after a scoreless draw at CSUN and a 1-0 defeat to UC Davis to close the regular season.
Players Mentioned
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