49ers
split two tough games in conference
Jon
Cook/On-line Forty-Niner
Jon
Cook/On-line Forty-Niner
Women's
soccer:
The Beach started the Big West Conference
schedule playing the top two teams in the
conference at George Allen Field.
By
Karl Peterson
On-line Forty-Niner
The
Long Beach State women's soccer team started
Big West Conference play last weekend winning
one of two home matches against the top
two teams, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and
UC Santa Barbara.
Sunday,
the 49ers (5-6, 1-1) were overmatched against
the No. 23 ranked Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Mustangs (11-1, 2-0), losing 2-0.
The
teams played to a scoreless tie up to halftime,
but it seemed only a matter of time until
one of the Mustangs' shots would hit the
back of the net. The Mustangs held the ball
in the 49ers' zone for most of the game
firing shots and keeping The Beach's goalie,
Tara Gotthardt, on her toes.
49er
head coach Peter Reynaud cited Cal Poly's
experience as the reason for its dominance,
but the Mustangs, in a span of two minutes
netted two goals coming from the foot of
super-sub and freshman Kelsey Carroll.
The
first goal was assisted by an unlikely source,
the Mohawk wearing Mustang goalkeeper Greta
Shirdon. Shirdon took advantage of a strong
wind at her back to boom the ball well past
midfield and over the heads of the entire
Long Beach State team, setting up an easy
goal chance for Carroll.
The
strong wind helped Shirdon keep the ball
out of the Mustang zone throughout the second
half. Reynaud pointed to the opening coin
toss as a major factor in the game because
it allowed Cal Poly to play with the wind
in the second half.
The
performance of the Mustangs over the weekend
may have many in the Big West scratching
their heads wondering how to beat this team.
"[Cal
Poly] is going to upset a lot of teams this
year," Reynaud said. "They are
strong enough to go undefeated this season."
Friday's
game between UCSB and the 49ers was so evenly
matched that neither team deserved to lose,
and neither did in regulation time.
The
Beach won the game when all-time leading
scorer senior Abie Curry broke the scoreless
tie, nudging the ball past the Gaucho goalkeeper.
Curry
said that just prior to the goal the team
knew that it must score soon because everyone
was tired and Curry who had played the entire
game agreed, but she mustered just enough
strength to beat the Santa Barbara defender
to the ball and score the goal.
The
Beach used a physical style of play to beat
the Gauchos and the style which Curry describes
as "tough but clean" had many
UCSB fans and players shouting at the referee
nearly every time the 49ers caused a turnover.
The
win was a huge upset for the 49ers, but
Curry and fellow senior, defender Lauren
Doffing had a simple plan to beat the pre-season
favorite to the win the Big West, UCSB.
"I
told Lauren, 'you keep them out [of the
goal] and I will put one in,'" Curry
said.
Both
made good on the promise and The Beach was
able to escape with the walk off winning
goal.
All
in all it was a successful weekend for the
49ers as they opened conference play.
"To
go 1-1, right now, against these two teams...I'm
happy," Reynaud said.
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