The Long Beach State women’s soccer team will be looking to keep the ball rolling as it heads into the start of Big West Conference play on the road against UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m.
The 49ers (7-3-1), which are on a three-game winning streak, are heading into conference action with the same record as last year. However, the ‘Niners have reason to be more confident this season because they lead the Big West in points (78) and goals scored (26).
LBSU, which has faced six opponents who qualified for the 2010 NCAA Tournament, has 12 more goals than it did this time last year and is on pace to break its single-season record of 44 set in 2008.
“We are feeling great and can’t wait to start playing [Big West Conference opponents],” said senior defender Nicole Hubbard, who has scored four of her five goals in the last two games, moving her into a tie for 10th in the LBSU all-time scorers list with (14). “We had a tough nonconference schedule, but it helped us prepare for conference games.”
The 49ers have three players who rank in the top 10 in two major offensive categories, namely junior forward Nadia Link who leads all players with 10 goals and 24 points.
The ‘Niners’ first opponent, UC Santa Barbara (5-5-2), has struggled offensively, ranking second to last in points (31), goals (12), and goals allowed (15) in the Big West. The last meeting between the 49ers and Gauchos resulted in a decisive 3-1 victory for LBSU.
However, the Gauchos are coming off a 1-0 upset of San Diego State — a team that the 49ers played to a 1-1 draw just two weeks ago.
Tabbed to win the Big West in a preseason poll by the conference’s coaches, UC Irvine (7-2-1) is ranked 18th in TopDrawerSoccer.com’s recent poll, and is seemingly the biggest roadblock standing in the way of the Beach’s quest for a Big West crown.
The Anteaters have been up and down in the Top 25 NSCAA poll, ranking as high as 15th. The Anteaters leading goal scorer, Natalia Ledezma, ranks first in shots taken (40) and 3rd in goals (6) and points (15) in the Big West. As a team, UCI is also is tied for 2nd in least number of goals allowed in the conference (11) this season.
The 49ers dropped a 1-0 decision to UCI in conference play last season before returning the favor in the Big West Tournament Championship to claim an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.
The Anteaters, however, recorded a pair of impressive wins over then-No. 25 Portland and San Diego last weekend and lead the 49ers by a half game in the overall standings.
Another opponent who has played well in nonconference play is the UC Davis Aggies (6-3). The Aggies’ goalkeeper Maria Magana has only allowed five goals on the season with a .839 save percentage to go with five shutouts.
If that wasn’t enough, the Aggies were the last team in the Big West to defeat the 49ers in their regular-season conference finale last year.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (6-4-1) and the University of the Pacific (6-4) are also potential threats to the 49ers, with both teams having dangerous offensive power. Pacific and Cal Poly are 2nd and 3rd, respectively in goals and points in the Big West. Pacific leads the Big West with six shutouts, having recorded one in each of its victories this year.
The Mustangs, which are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to Fresno State will face the 49ers at San Luis Obispo on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Cal State Fullerton (5-4-2), UC Riverside (5-5-1), and Cal State Northridge (2-6-1) round out the conference. The Beach dominated all three teams last season, outscoring them, 9-2 in three regular-season meetings.
The Beach’s next home conference game at George Allen Field will be played on Sunday, October 9th against Fullerton. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
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