49er losing streak hits seven

By Phil Witte
Daily Forty-Niner

An early first-half goal was all UC Irvine needed to hand the Long Beach State women's soccer team its seventh loss in a row Sunday at George Allen Field.

The 49ers (3-7-1, 0-2-0) hit the Anteaters (6-3-2, 1-1-0) with a barrage of pressure late in the game but were unable to hit the back of the net.

"Our only solution is to never give up," said 49er Head Coach Julie Cochran. "We're going to return to work and continue to battle in every game."

Long Beach had the first scoring opportunity when sophomore Becky Ricci's shot from a free kick was punch-saved by Anteater goalie Allison Merrick. The rebound bounced back to Ricci, but her second shot was collected by Merrick.

Anteater sophomore Melody Mangrello scored her first goal of the season in the 12th minute. Sophomore Robyn Piotrowski passed a free kick into the penalty area to Mangrello, who had slipped into an open space. Mangrello then turned and chipped over the diving 49er goalie, sophomore Jihan Elgazzar.

"I'm glad we scored early because it made Long Beach chase us the rest of the game," said Irvine Head Coach Martine Cano. "In the second half they attacked us and forced us to defend well. Long Beach came to play today and they gave us a big-time fight."

Long Beach's best chance to score came midway through the first half when both junior Kim Domen and freshman Marcia Rewoldt had shots saved by Merrick, but no one was able to put the loose ball into the net.

The 49ers brought freshman goalkeeper Hannah Cochrun into the game at halftime. Cochrun had a busy afternoon, making a career-high six saves against 11 Irvine shots.

"We played outstanding in the second half, but we couldn't finish," Cochrun said. "Sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way."

For most of the second half, both teams battled for possession. Irvine outshot the home team 11-4 in the half.

With three minutes left in the game, the 49ers were reduced to 10 players when junior Caitlin Murphy tackled Piotrowski from behind when the Anteater midfielder broke clear during a counterattack.

"She was on a breakaway and I made the foul and sacrificed myself for the team," Murphy said of her first career ejection. "It's unfortunate because now I won't be able to play in the next game."

One final chance to score eluded the 49ers with two minutes to go in the game. Merrick misjudged junior Marisa Barragan's shot and the ball bounced off her chest right to freshman Lacy Brown, but her rebound shot barely went over the crossbar.

Next up for the 49ers is a trip to central California this weekend for two games. The first game is Friday at 7:00 p.m against UC Santa Barbara (5-5-1). On Sunday, the team will head further up the coast for a match with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (5-4-1) at 1:00 p.m.