Saturday, August 12
Long Beach, Calif.
7 p.m.
Long Beach State University
1
vs
1
USC
Photo by: Diego Devia @Devia.Img
Late Goal Gives Long Beach State Draw with No. 22 USC
8/12/2023 10:12:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Freshman Julie Lopez provided the late heroics in Saturday night’s exhibition.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State played No. 22 ranked USC to a 1-1 draw in their exhibition game on Saturday night. Julie Lopez scored the late goal on the night with a long distance strike in the 74th minute.
"Overall, I thought it was an excellent match," said Head Coach Ingrassia. "USC scored early, and we were up against the wall but in the middle 30 we stepped up and built some momentum for the last 30. I thought we deserved the result and maybe a little bit more. We moved the ball well, defended well and played as a team well, and we did it against a quality opponent."
USC took the early lead on an Aaliyah Farmer header in the fourth minute and continued the pressure totaling eight shots in the period. Morgan Houston-Shepherd responded with four saves the rest of the first period, including back-to-back in the 21st minute.
Playing three 30-minute periods as opposed to the normal two 45-minute halves, the Beach came out of the first break strong. Matching the Trojans in shots with four each, LBSU controlled more possession ultimately changing the momentum of the game.
Going into the third and final 30 minutes, Long Beach rattled off three shots in ten minutes to keep up the pressure on the Trojan defense. Julie Lopez checked into the game in the 70th minute and four minutes later, found herself with space from around 25 yards out and sent a dart into the back of the net. Her shot hit crossbar and down off the USC goalie to even the score at 1-1.
The Lopez goal represented the final score of the night as both teams fended off some late shot attempts to ultimately lead to the draw.
For the night, USC led in shots 14-13 but Long Beach State owned a 5-1 corner kick advantage and a 7-1 save advantage. Elysia Laramie recorded a game-high five shots with Summer Laskey right behind her with three. Along with Houston-Shepherd's four saves, Aurora Schuck had two and Zora Standifer had one.
The Beach will turn their sights on the official season opener this coming Thursday, August 17 as they welcome the No. 15 Texas Longhorns to town. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. live on ESPN+.
"Overall, I thought it was an excellent match," said Head Coach Ingrassia. "USC scored early, and we were up against the wall but in the middle 30 we stepped up and built some momentum for the last 30. I thought we deserved the result and maybe a little bit more. We moved the ball well, defended well and played as a team well, and we did it against a quality opponent."
USC took the early lead on an Aaliyah Farmer header in the fourth minute and continued the pressure totaling eight shots in the period. Morgan Houston-Shepherd responded with four saves the rest of the first period, including back-to-back in the 21st minute.
Playing three 30-minute periods as opposed to the normal two 45-minute halves, the Beach came out of the first break strong. Matching the Trojans in shots with four each, LBSU controlled more possession ultimately changing the momentum of the game.
Going into the third and final 30 minutes, Long Beach rattled off three shots in ten minutes to keep up the pressure on the Trojan defense. Julie Lopez checked into the game in the 70th minute and four minutes later, found herself with space from around 25 yards out and sent a dart into the back of the net. Her shot hit crossbar and down off the USC goalie to even the score at 1-1.
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— Long Beach State Soccer (@LBSUSoccer) August 13, 2023
The Lopez goal represented the final score of the night as both teams fended off some late shot attempts to ultimately lead to the draw.
For the night, USC led in shots 14-13 but Long Beach State owned a 5-1 corner kick advantage and a 7-1 save advantage. Elysia Laramie recorded a game-high five shots with Summer Laskey right behind her with three. Along with Houston-Shepherd's four saves, Aurora Schuck had two and Zora Standifer had one.
The Beach will turn their sights on the official season opener this coming Thursday, August 17 as they welcome the No. 15 Texas Longhorns to town. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. live on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
GK
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GK
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GK
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