Carolina was not the best place for the No. 23-ranked Long Beach State women’s soccer team. In two games against ranked opponents, LBSU was outscored 3-1 after allowing no goals in its first two games. LBSU finds itself at 2-2 with nowhere to go but south to Provo, Utah to face No. 19-ranked Brigham Young on Tuesday.
A sense of urgency is obviously upon the team.
They were dismantled by No. 24-ranked Wake Forest and No. 20-ranked Clemson last week.
LBSU’s 1-0 loss to Wake Forest was not as close as the score showed. The Demon Deacons had twice as many shots than the 49ers (14-7).
Junior midfielder Hayley Bolt was not her usual self, playing the entire game without a shot or assist. Junior forward Kim Silos was just as quiet, tallying only one shot in 71 minutes.
It seemed as if LBSU was being treated the way it treated Cal State Bakersfield and Utah the previous week.
The temperature reached the high ’80s in Winston-Salem, N.C., and LBSU certainly felt the heat, especially junior goalkeeper Liz Ramos, who finally allowed to a goal after having to deal with only six total shots on goal in the first two matches. LBSU allowed four shots on goal against Wake Forest.
LBSU felt pressure against Utah, which had more shots and shots on goal despite the 49ers’ victory. Wake Forest added to the pressure last week by controlling the field and eventually breaking down the defense. The Demon Deacons had eight corner kicks compared to LBSU’s one.
When the 49ers went to Clemson, S.C., to face an undefeated, No. 20-ranked Clemson team, they were the ones controlling the field, but failed to control the net.
The Tigers’ 3-1 victory over LBSU was quite surprising, considering the difference in shots and shots on goal between the teams. LBSU had eight more shots than Clemson (11-3), more corner kicks (4-0) and 11 fewer fouls (10; Clemson had 21). However, every shot is a game-changer, and Clemson showed just that.
The Tigers’ three shots were all goals, two of them coming within the first 20 minutes of the game. Bolt was blanked again while playing 80 minutes, while Silos was a little more productive while playing far fewer minutes (57). Silos had a shot on goal for the game.
One thing the 49ers could take with them against BYU is that they held Clemson without a goal in the second half, and that defensive momentum could bode well for them – the Cougars have only scored two goals this season, but are undefeated at 2-0-1.
LBSU could ease the pain of this road trip with a victory over BYU. The Cougars are going to be the highest-ranked team LBSU faces this season, and things would look better coming home to play Oklahoma on Friday.
Today’s game against BYU appears to be far more important than expected. The Cougars have not scored often this season, and LBSU comes off an impressive half of defense. The third time should be a charm for the 49ers, because a third straight loss certainly isn’t.
