If the Long Beach State women’s soccer team keeps up their level of play in the second half of the season, the 49ers should beat out favorites Cal Poly and Fullerton for the conference title.
The 49ers (5-2-3) have improved greatly after a pair of subpar seasons in 2013 and 2014. This year, LBSU have struck the perfect balance to bring in the hardware.
Junior midfielder Mimi Rangel, senior defender Melanie Fox, junior goalie Ashton McKeown and sophomore forward Ashley Gonzalez have returned from last season and provided a sturdy backbone for head coach Mauricio Ingrassia.
Fox’s main job as a defender is to keep the opposition’s attack in check, but she has also managed to help out with the scoring effort as well, netting three goals on the season. Along with senior Val Margerum, freshman Alyssa Alvarez and junior Mimi Akaogi in the backline, Fox and company have allowed only five goals all season.
And with McKeown in goal backing them up, it’s no wonder why the 49ers are a fortress.
McKeown has recorded 35 saves and five shutouts. Two of her shutouts came against ranked opponents; UCLA on Aug. 21 and DePaul last Sunday. Another two came against USC and San Diego, both of whom were ranked at one point this season.
LBSU’s holding midfielders, freshman Celeste Dominguez and junior Rocio Rodriguez, have also helped the 49er back line, leaving tons of freedom and room up front for Rangel, Gonzalez, senior forward Vania Robles and sophomore midfielder Jessica Vincent to lead the attack.
Rangel, the reigning Big West Midfielder of the Year, Gonzalez and Robles have 45 of the team’s 111 shots while Vincent supplies them the crosses; Vincent herself has 11 shots this season.
The one area that LBSU has struggled in this year has been playing on the road. At home the 49ers are phenomenal; they are 4-1, including their huge win against UCLA and their 6-0 blowout against Portland St.
But, before last Sunday, the 49ers had not been able to find the same success on the road. After five away games, the 49ers have ended three of them in a tie, one in a loss and managed just the one win.
However, LBSU’s last road game was a win against DePaul. This can serve as a momentum boost for the team as they continue into the second half of the season.
The conference matchups will be crucial to the 49er playoff hopes. However, no other team in the Big West will be coming in better prepared the LBSU.
The Mustangs played against Stanford and California, but failed to get a win or even score a goal. Cal Poly will have another chance to impress with games against Pepperdine and BYU this weekend.
The Titans started 6-0-0 against weak opposition, but dropped points against the 1-4-4 Gonzaga Bulldogs. Fullerton also lost to the first strong team they played against; a loss to Washington State on Sept. 13.
If McKeown and Fox can remain a wall between the posts, and Rangel and Gonzalez continue to stay aggressive and push for goals, then they will take the conference title and make a deep run in both the Big West and NCAA Tournaments.
