The Long Beach State women’s soccer team will play its first out-of-state game this Saturday in Provo, Utah against BYU before returning home to host Wake Forest on Monday night.
The 49ers (3-1-2) have maintained their No. 23 ranking in the NCAA; meanwhile, a poll by Soccer America Daily put them at No. 24.
The 49ers have been able to take advantage of home games going 3-0-1 at George Allen Field. Having one of the toughest schedules in the country that include three opponents in the NCAA’s top-25 and two (Wake Forest and Santa Clara) that made it to last year’s Sweet 16, senior defender Taylor Nelson knows how important winning home games is.
“It’s huge,” Nelson said. “That’s always what we say, the four years I’ve been here. We always want to be undefeated at home.”
A part of the team’s success at home has been the defense it has displayed on the field. Sophomore goalkeeper Ashton McKeown started only two games last season, but has helped the 49ers achieve back-to-back clean sheets and only allowed three goals this season.
“It was good for me after watching all last year, to get a better understanding of the play,” McKeown said. “I was working really hard all summer, putting that into action so I knew [I’d] be able to do it by myself on the field. It just built up my confidence, and I have confidence in the people in front of me.”
The 49ers’ defense will look to this Saturday against a BYU (1-2-2) squad that has struggled to score so far this season after scoring just three goals in five games.
The 49ers will play against the ACC’s Wake Forest on Monday. The Demon Deacons have had five different players score, including senior midfielder Riley Ridgik, who leads the team with three goals. They will face UCLA – ranked No. 1 in the country –before hitting George Allen Field.
Although the 49ers don’t have the same top ranking as UCLA, they have their own recognitions within the western region, and are slowly putting their name out nationally.
The team was second in the NSCAA West Region Poll last week, the highest regional ranking since 2012. They then climbed into the No. 23 spot in a national poll that same week.
Earlier last week, junior Melanie Fox earned the Big West Defensive Player of the Week while freshman forward Ashley Gonzales was named Big West Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.
The 49ers will be facing BYU Saturday at 6 p.m. and get to take on Wake Forest Monday at 5:30 p.m. on George Allen Field.