LOS ANGELES — All in attendance at UCLA’s Drake Stadium on Friday seemingly held their breath when sophomore midfielder Kelsey Wilson’s shot sailed through the air from 40 yards out.
Once the ball found the upper right corner of the net, though, the No. 21-ranked Long Beach State women’s soccer team and its fans were relieved of the frustration they harbored for over 80 minutes.
The 49ers held on to advance to their first-ever Sweet 16 with a 1-0 victory over the University of Miami in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Wilson’s goal looked like a cross from the left side of the field, but the ball managed to slip past the fingertips of leaping Miami goalkeeper Vikki Alonzo to break a scoreless tie in the 81st minute. The supporters of the ‘Niners, who had been vocal all night, erupted after Wilson’s goal — her second of the season — and rushed the field after the match concluded.
“It kept picking up speed,” said Wilson, a transfer from Loyola Marymount University. “When I saw it hit the net, I was like ‘Oh my God.'”
LBSU (17-5-1) and Miami (10-8-1) endured a physical match as they combined for 33 fouls thanks in part to a slippery field. Players were frequently falling and sliding around off balance during the contest.
The Hurricanes were held to just five shots in the match — three coming on goal — as LBSU goalkeeper Kaitlyn Gustaves posted her fourth consecutive shutout and 11th of the season. She extended her streak to 387 scoreless minutes.
“They are a really athletic team and the first half was really frustrating for us,” LBSU head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “We just kept trying to put pressure on them and that earned us a goal.”
Senior forward Nicole Hubbard was shaken up in the 54th minute after a jump ball collision with Alonzo near Miami’s penalty box. She returned in the 78th minute and immediately provided a spark for the ‘Niners as she assisted on Wilson’s game-winning goal.
“Shot or cross, I really don’t know,” Wilson said of her goal, “but it was a great pass from Nicole [Hubbard].”
The Beach doesn’t have much time to bask in their victory as it will return to UCLA’s Drake Stadium to face the University of San Diego on Sunday. San Diego played against UCLA immediately following the 49ers’ victory and upset the Bruins, 3-2, in penalty kicks after battling to a 1-1 tie.
The ‘Niners earned a 1-0 victory over San Diego (13-7-1) in their only meeting of the season on Sept. 16.
Ingrassia and his team were confident about making it to the Sweet 16 heading into their match against Miami.
“I told [the team] to be prepared to win two games this weekend,” Ingrassia said.
When asked about his thoughts about the upcoming game on Sunday, Ingrassia simply responded, “I’m thinking we got a game to win.”
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