The Long Beach State women’s soccer team tied a single-game school record for most goals scored since the program was reinstated in 1998 in a dominant 6-0 victory over Saint Mary’s on Sunday at George Allen Field.
Hat tips were in order for senior defender Nicole Hubbard who scored three goals in the first hat trick for a LBSU player since Lindsay Bullock did it last October in a 5-2 win over Cal State Fullerton.
Long Beach (6-3-1) posted its second straight shutout and third on the season. The ‘Niners attempted 18 shots during the match, 10 of which were on goal during their scoring frenzy. Hubbard led the way with a career-best of six attempts, including four on frame.
The Gaels (7-2-1) had only allowed eight goals through nine games heading into the match, but gave up six to The Beach, which last accomplished the feat in 2006. Saint Mary’s also snapped their six-game winning streak after the blowout loss.
“This is a really great feeling,” Hubbard said. “We wanted to come out and play hard and tough for 90 minutes and that’s what we did.”
Hubbard’s first goal came unassisted in the 17th minute after her shot into the left side of the net squeaked past diving Saint Mary’s goalkeeper Kate Brenot.
In the 28th minute, Hubbard struck again with a header off of a well-placed cross from junior forward Nadia Link.
The Beach quickly took full control of the game after a goal by forward Shawna Gordon in the 50th minute gave the ‘Niners a 3-0 lead. The goal moved Gordon into a tie for 10th all-time on LBSU charts with 14 career scores. She also posted two assists during the game, which tied her for fourth all-time in 49er women’s soccer history with 18 in her career.
The hat trick was completed in the 64th minute when Hubbard scored off another header, this time coming from a well-placed corner kick from midfielder Kelsey Wilson. It marked Hubbard’s first career hat trick and increased her season total to four goals.
“All of the passes were perfectly timed,” Hubbard said. “My teammates gave me really good looks and I ran with them.”
Forwards Link and Sierra Mack added to the blowout victory with goals of their own coming in the 60th minute and 71st minute, respectively. Link’s goal was her eighth on the season, moving her into a tie for seventh place for most career goals (16) in 49er history.
“We have been playing through a really tough schedule,” LBSU head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said, “but today we executed and kept playing well.”
Senior Kaitlyn Gustaves played all 90 minutes in between the posts, registering one save in her second consecutive shutout. Gustaves lowered her goals against average to 0.98 en route to her fourth shutout on the year.
With only one game remaining before Big West Conference play begins, Long Beach will face off against the University of Nevada-Las Vegas on Friday at George Allen Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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