Murphy's goal clinches Pacific win

Junior Marisa Barragan scored a goal and added two assists to lead the Long Beach State women's soccer to a 4-1 victory over University of the Pacific Saturday afternoon at George Allen Field.

The game was the third win in a row for the 49ers (6-7-1, 3-2-0 BWC), and it was the third loss in a row for the Tigers (7-6-1, 2-3-0 BWC). Saturday's game also matched a 49er record for goals scored in a game and Head Coach Julie Cochran called it the best performance she's seen at the school.

"We determined that we were going to make it fun for the rest of the season," Cochran said. "Our confidence is improving and we knew we had to win if we wanted to reach our goals."

For most of the first half the two teams battled for possession in midfield, and The Beach dominated on the attack, out-shooting Pacific by a margin of 10 to one. The 49ers opened scoring in the 21st minute off of a corner kick; the second time a corner has led to a goal in two games.

Junior Sarah Gamet's corner was partially cleared by the Tiger defense, but it fell directly to Barragan, who fired it into junior Amber Glende who knocked it into the net.

Thanks to the play of the 49er defense led by sophomore Becky Ricci, redshirt freshman goalkeeper Hannah Cochrun was largely unneeded in the first half, but she came through in the second, holding off an early Pacific barrage. The Tigers peppered Cochrun's goal with five shots early in the second frame, but came away empty handed.

After holding off the early assault, the 49ers stepped up their own play, completely dominating the Tigers and notching three goals in fifteen minutes.

The second goal came when freshman Marcia Rewoldt's shot was saved by UOP goalie Megan Pickering and the rebound fell right to junior Caitlin Murphy, who put away the loose ball for her second goal of the season. Rewoldt collided with Pickering on the play and had to be substituted because of an injured ankle.

In the 59th minute, The Beach scored with an excellent display of teamwork. Ricci took a free kick from midfield that Barragan flicked with her head directly in the path of the onrushing Jennifer Reott. Reott calmly slotted the ball into the net away from goalie Melissa Montgomery, who had charged toward Barragan on the play.

Reott's goal was the tenth of her 49er career, moving her past Kelli Barnett into first place on the all-time goal scoring chart.

We've been coming out the past couple of games and getting wins with a new attitude," Reott said. "The turning point was when we saw that we had seven games left in the season and we knew we had to make it or break it to finish well on the season."

Barragan finished off her best game of the season by scoring her first goal six minutes later, chipping the ball over Montgomery after getting a cross from Rewoldt.

"Something was different today," Barragan said. "It was all instinct. Our confidence is high right now and it's all about fun."

The Tigers scored a consolation goal with a penalty kick ten minutes from time, spoiling Cochrun's bid for three straight shutouts. UOP's Vanessa Brumer was tripped in the box after sneaking through the 49er back line, and she put the subsequent penalty in the lower left-hand corner of the net.

In the three-year history of the program at LBSU, the team that has given the 49ers the most problems has been the Tigers; defeating them 7-1 in the 49ers' first ever Big West game two years ago and adding a 4-0 win last year.

"We're doing a little sports psychology now," said Cochran. "Usually we get so up for an opponent like this we end up choking. Now, we've been focusing less on our opponent and more on our own play."

Next up for The Beach is a home game against the University of Idaho Sunday at 1 p.m.