Women's soccer makes history in Big West

By R.S. Hakes, On-Line Forty-Niner

Monday, October 5, 1998

The Long Beach State women's soccer team defeated the visiting Boise State Broncos and the Idaho Vandals this weekend, to earn its first two Big West Conference victories ever, at George Allen Field.

A hard week of practice paid off, as The Beach (6-7/2-1 Big West), which is in its inaugural season, defeated two other rookie NCAA women's soccer programs.

"Our focus [in practice] was to work hard and to have fun again and we applied it to the game," said 49er Kelli Barrett.

In Sunday's game against the Vandals, Lori Harris scored first for The Beach in the 31st minute, after Terra Hobbs sent a pass down the right side of the field to Barrett.

Barrett sailed across to an open Harris, who kicked the ball into the left side of the net past Vandal goalkeeper Sacha Martin.

The Beach's goalkeeper, Michaeli Ramage, recorded her third shutout of the season. Ramage sealed the shutout with a lunging save off a shot by the Vandals' Polly McCune.

On Friday, outside midfielder Kim Stempkowski scored her first two goals of the season against the Broncos (4-5-1/1-2 Big West) as The Beach went on to win its first Big West Conference game 2-1.

Stempkowsi took The Beach's first ever penalty shot and kicked the ball past the Bronco's goalkeeper which proved to be the game winning-goal.

The Beach travel to Logan, Utah Friday for another Big West Conference game vs. Utah State.