Long Beach State women’s soccer head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said the 49ers’ recent four-match road trip “provided a lot of good lessons” for a team with 18 newcomers.
Taking a cue from the men’s basketball team, Ingrassia’s squad opened the season with a Dan Monson-esque schedule featuring six NCAA Tournament teams from last season. The Beach (3-3) recently went 2-2 on a four-game road trip that wrapped up with a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of No. 6 Boston College in Beacon Hill, Mass.
The gauntlet also included wins over then-No. 21 Missouri and Harvard coupled with a 3-1 defeat at Kansas.
“For a lot of them, this is the first time they’ve traveled,” Ingrassia said. “They got to see how grueling it is on the road so for us to come out with two wins is a positive.”
The 49ers return to cozy George Allen Field against Pepperdine tomorrow at 4 p.m. before making the trip down Interstate 5 to challenge the San Diego State Aztecs. Ingrassia cautions overlooking what he considers two “tricky” opponents.
The Waves (4-1) sit on a three-game winning streak after shutting out Hawaii, 2-0, Sunday. They are ranked at No. 4 in the most recent NSCAA West Regional rankings, one spot ahead of the 49ers.
“Pepperdine lost to Kansas, 2-1, but they outplayed [Kansas],” Ingrassia said.
Michelle Spacciapolli keys the Waves offense, which has outscored opponents 7-3. Wave goalkeeper Roxanne Barker has registered 12 saves for the season, boasting a 0.59 goals against average.
SDSU (3-3-2) plays host to Sacramento State at 4 p.m. tomorrow at the Sports Deck before welcoming the 49ers at noon Sunday.
The 49ers will reunite with a familiar face when they square off against the Aztecs. SDSU midfielder Grace Shevlin spent two seasons with LBSU before transferring after last year.
“I haven’t thought about that match-up much, but obviously, we want to beat her,” Ingrassia said with a grin.
Junior midfielder Cat Walker leads the Aztecs with three goals to go along with an assist.
The 49ers swapped players at several positions during the trip, most noticeably, inserting transfer Nicoline Jorgensen in place of Emily Kingsborough at goalkeeper. Jorgensen started in goal for the ‘Niners against Missouri.
The Denmark native has received every starting nod since then, but Ingrassia would not confirm if she has locked down the position on a permanent basis.
“We have two solid goalkeepers,” Ingrassia said. “Both are very close in play, but for now, [Jorgensen] is our goalkeeper.”
The sixth-year coach said his forward unit is “rookie-ish” because of having fewer returning starters from last season compared to his established backline and midfield.
Kristen Kiefer, a 2008 All-Big West honorable mention, played a reserve role the last two matches, while UCLA transfer Nicole Sweetman and freshmen Jenny Soza, Whitney Velez and Nadia Link have received expanded minutes up front.
Soza scored her first goal of the season against Missouri, while Velez netted her first in a 2-0 win at Harvard.
Sweetman made her first start of the season in the Missouri match, registering 44 minutes. The forward was a late addition to the roster earlier this season.
“She didn’t get to spend preseason with us. I needed to see how she impacts the game and she did a good job,” Ingrassia said.
After facing the Aztecs, the 49ers travel to play Loyola Marymount at 4 p.m. Friday before hosting Pacific Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. in their Big West Conference opener.