Long Beach State heads to the east coast to face Harvard and No. 5 Boston College to highlight a busy week of women's soccer action in the Big West. The matchup with the Golden Eagles marks the fourth top 25 opponent in six matches for the 49ers.
NOTEWORTHY
Keep An Eye On
Tanya Taylor - UC Irvine
Taylor, a junior forward for UC Irvine, leads the Big West with nine points on three goals and three assists. She was named the UC Irvine Invitational Most Valuable Player last weekend after producing a pair of goals and an assist in Anteater victories over Fresno State and Southern Utah. A 2008 All-Big West Second Team performer, Taylor has helped UC Irvine to a five-match winning streak, the program’s longest since beginning the 1998 season 5-0.
More Notables
Crozier Looking For Win No. 150
Cal Poly head coach Alex Crozier is the Big West all-time win leader with 149. He can tab win No. 150 when the Mustangs travel to Florida International on Friday. Crozier has led the Mustang program since its inception in 1992 and owns an overall record of 203-108-34. The Big West began sponsoring women’s soccer in 1996.
COACHING VICTORY LEADERS
(as member of the Big West)
149 Alex Crozier, Cal Poly
129 Keith Coleman, Pacific
100 Paul Stumpf, UC Santa Barbara
92 Marine Cano, UC Irvine
79 Veronica O’Brien, UC Riverside
bold denotes active Big West head coach
Long Beach State Defeats Ranked Opponent
Long Beach State earned an important road victory on Sunday in a dominating 4-1 performance against No. 21 Missouri. The 49ers scored three goals during a six-minute span in the second half to subdue the Tigers, the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 Conference. It was the first win over a ranked opponent for Long Beach State since 2005.
Another Ranked Foe On The Way
Mauricio Ingrassia is not ducking anyone as the head coach of the Long Beach State women’s soccer program. His 49ers have played three top 25 opponents in succession - No. 3 UCLA, No. 23 Kansas and No. 21 Missouri - and the schedule does not get any easier this week. The 49ers make their second consecutive out-of-state roadtrip when they head off to play Harvard and Boston College. The latter opponent is ranked No. 5 in the nation by Soccer America this week.
UC Davis Outburst Provides Momentum For Roadtrip
UC Davis inflicted a 5-0 whitewashing at Cal State Bakersfield on Friday to move to 2-0-1 on the season. The five goals were the most for the Aggies since Sept. 22, 2006, when they defeated Alabama State 8-0 in Jackson, Miss. It also marked the most lopsided win on an opponent’s home field in nearly 14 years. UCD walloped Cal Poly Pomona, 7-0, on Sept. 8, 1995. The Aggies take their unbeaten mark on the road this week when they sojourn to Montana and Eastern Washington.
Two Tournaments On Tap This Week
Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara compete in tournaments this week. The Matadors travel to the New Mexico Tournament where they take on the host Lobos and Kent State. The Gauchos continue a four-match road swing as they participate in the William and Mary Tournament. UCSB faces its fourth ranked foe in six matches when they battle the host and No. 22-ranked Tribe on Wednesday. UCSB also meets George Mason on Friday.
Ives Poised To Join Top 10 In Career Assists
UC Santa Barbara senior forward Genelle Ives is the Big West active career goals (22), assists (17) and points (61) leader in 2009. The 2008 Big West Offensive Player of the Year scored nine goals and added seven assists for the Big West Tournament champion Gauchos, which went on to compete in the NCAA Tournament. Ives is one assist away from moving into the Big West top 10. However, Ives has been held without a point in each of the first five contests and has taken only five shots all season.
BIG WEST CAREER ASSIST LEADERS
29 Kim Silos - Long Beach State 2005-08
29 Wendy Woolgar - Pacific 1996-98
26 Jennifer Borcich - UC Santa Barbara 2001-04
25 Krista Davey - North Texas 1996-99
21 Natalie Dorr - Pacific 1996-98
20 Chandi Bickford - UC Santa Barbara 2003-06
19 Christy Johnson - North Texas 1997-99
19 Simone Ferrara - UC Irvine 1996-98
18 Hayley Bolt - Long Beach State 2005-08
18 Kellie Cox - Cal State Fullerton 2001-05
18 Shana Stickel - Cal Poly 1996-98
18 Allie Kueny - UC Santa Barbara 2003-06
17 Genelle Ives - UC Santa Barbara 2005-pres.
Padilla, Figueroa Padding Tiger Totals
Pacific is second in the Big West in goals scored (11) and points (30) thanks to the youthful duo of freshmen Maricela Padilla and sophomore Angelica Figueroa. The two have accounted for half of the team’s 30 points, as Figueroa leads the team with eight points (2G, 4A) while Padilla has seven (3G, 1A). The two have also attempted 37 of the Tigers’ 88 shots on the season.
Shutout Shindig Taking Place In Highlanderland
Defense is ruling at UC Riverside, which has pieced together three straight 1-0 shutouts. The Highlanders blanked Texas State, Southern Utah and Fresno State all by the same score. The last time UCR recorded three straight shutouts was at the beginning of the 2008 season. The program record for consecutive shutouts is five, accomplished in 2002.
Titans Off To Worst Start In School History
Cal State Fullerton has begun a season 0-4 for the first time in school history, surpassing the 0-3 start set in 2001. That 2001 squad eventually rebounded to go 13-7 overall, win the Big West and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Big West Live Comes To Twitter
The Big West Conference is excited to bring Big West Live to Twitter, a Twitter feed designed to give fans an in-the-stands view of select Big West Events. Bringing near-instantaneous photos, commentary, and updates, Big West Live is the first feed of its kind. Moving beyond the scores and stats, Big West Live delivers the “color” of Big West events.
Follow Your Team On BigWest.TV
The Big West Conference and the CBS College Sports Network are partnering to bring you exclusive coverage of Big West sports, press conferences, interviews, and features to your home via the Internet! Now in its fifth year, BigWest.TV covers every home and conference contest in men’s basketball as well as women’s basketball and volleyball. Also covered are select contests in men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, softball, and Big West Conference Championships. A monthly subscription of $9.95 or an annual subscription of $79.95 delivers exclusive coverage to you. If you can’t make it to the gym or the field, you can still catch all the action on BigWest.TV!