Soccer • Natalie Messina led a strong defensive effort against Cal Poly on Sunday, but the 49ers were unable to score losing 1-0. Matt Brown / CSULB Sports Information

 

Bumpy ride continues for women's soccer team

By Michael Bower
Daily Forty-Niner
Sports Editor

The women's soccer team has been part of a bumpy ride this season, and after last weekend things got a bit bumpier against the two of the top Big West Conference teams.

The 49ers (5-5-1, 0-2) kicked off the Big West Conference last weekend losing to host UC Santa Barbara 4-1 Friday, and then getting edged out by defending Big West champion Cal Poly 1-0 Sunday.

The 49ers began a seven-game road trip with two losses in Hawaii, and a 6-0 loss in San Diego. The Beach then came back to win the Bluejay Classic with two wins in Omaha, Nebraska, but could not keep the streak going to open Big West Conference play.

Despite the two losses, 49ers' Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia was impressed by his teams' play.

"I thought we played three great halfs out of four," Ingrassia said. "We had Santa Barbara on its heels and I thought we did everything right until we scored the goal. We now have to work on our mental game. Then on Sunday, we go into Cal Poly and play with them on their field. To have the quality chances we had this weekend, we have to feel good about that. We also have to feel good about the fact that our defense was able to stifle them. We came away from the weekend a better team and we're looking for some results this weekend."

The 49ers this year are usually the team that makes the second half surge, but on Friday the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (6-4-1, 1-0) came back from a 1-0 deficit by outscoring The Beach 4-1 in the second half.

Elizabeth Romo put the 49ers on top at the 48-minute mark by taking a touch pass from Kristin Davis and firing a shot from 18 yards past the Gaucho goalie.

UC Santa Barbara scored just four minutes later after Randi Johns knocked in a rebound from the shot of teammate Kristyn Bright to tie the game at 1-1.

Two-time Big West Offensive Player of the Year and Gaucho star Jennifer Borcich scored what was the eventual game winner at the 59-minute mark. Borcich, who was matched up with star Beach defender Natalie Messina for most of the game, scored her seventh goal of the year after she took a pass from Darci Gwartz and sent it into the back of the net.

The 49ers had control of the game for most of the first half as they fired five of their seven shots in the period. The Beach also took five corner kicks in the half as the Gauchos managed just four shots on goal.

The tables turned in the second half as the 49ers ended up being out shot 18-7 in the game.

Sunday the 49ers forced Cal Poly goalie Liz Hill to be on her heels, and Hill was up to the test shutting out The Beach and posting eight saves in a 1-0 Cal Poly victory.

The lone goal of the game came late in the first half as Sharon Day received a corner kick in the middle of the box and fired it into the back of the net with just 55 seconds to go until half time.

The 49ers had a couple of chances to grab the lead in the first half, but the Mustangs' goalie, Hill, was saving everything in her path. A shot by 49er freshman Katelyn Quaresma in the 15th minute and a shot by freshman Kelli Goes in the 43rd minute were both stopped by Hill.

The 49ers will return home Friday to take on the University of the Pacific at 4 p.m. Friday and Cal State Northridge on Sunday at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at George Allen Field.