Attack • Sahar
Haghdan, left, pushes past Bengals
defense to score the winning goal for
LBSU. Jon
Cook
/ Daily Forty-Niner
Haghdan’s
goal leads 49ers to 1-0 win against Idaho
State
By
Ryan ZumMallen
Contributing Writer
Daily Forty-Niner
The Long Beach State women’s soccer team squeezed out a 1-0 victory over
the Idaho State Bengals Sept. 2 at the George Allen Field.
Freshman Sahar Haghdan’s game-winning goal with just over 11 minutes
to play clinched the game for Long Beach State.
Locked in a scoreless tie, Bengals goalie Lyndsay Gensler lost control of the
ball in front of the net, allowing Haghdan to swoop in with the game winning
shot, with an assist by midfielder Nicole Cross.
Haghdans first collegiate goal came after missing an attempt in the first half
that seemed to be a sure thing. After darting through the Bengals’ defense,
Haghdan found herself in a one-on-one match-up with Gensler, but could
not convert.
“I knew I blew the first shot,” Haghdan said. “I
would have been mad to see it end in a 0-0 tie. I was going to do anything
to get [the game-winner] in.”
LBSU nearly gave up the lead directly after taking it, as Idaho State rushed
past the entire 49er defense, only to be stopped by goalkeeper Liz Ramos’ diving
save.
“She did well to get the shutout,” said Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia,
who played Ramos in goal for all 90 minutes.
The match certainly proved to be a growing experience for the 49ers, only 7
out of the 28 players have any experience playing for LBSU.
When sloppy play did manage to get the 49ers in trouble, however, Ramos was
there to clean up the mess. In the 60th minute, a careless pass wandered
in front of the CSULB net.
Ramos quickly reacted and kicked it away, denying Idaho State of one of its
few opportunities to score. Again, after Haghdan’s goal, Ramos kept
the lead in the hands of the home team 49ers.
“Right after a score, sometimes you lose focus, just for a second,” Ingrassia
said about nearly allowing the Bengals to tie the game. “[Ramos]
did a great job, and had a great save.”
The 49ers’ suffocating defense took its toll on Idaho State as the game
wore on. Tensions rose as both teams struggled to score, resulting in
Idaho State’s Stephanie Anderson receiving a warning for pushing, then
a yellow card after fighting for the ball with 49er midfielder Kim Silos.’ Both
teams seemed to become more anxious as the clock ticked down, and the game
turned into a battle for ball control.
The first half was marred with sloppy play and bad passes, as the team
struggled to convert on several scoring opportunities. The second half, however,
was an obvious improvement with the 49ers exhibiting great ball control and seldom
allowing Idaho State to advance past midfield.
The 49ers, with an overall record of 2-1-0, play Weber State Sept.8 in the
CSULB Classic at George Allen Field. |
