September 13, 2007

Strickland happy to find 49ers a good fit
Transfer enjoys style of play, `vibe' at L.B. State.
By Dave Werstine, Staff writer

LONG BEACH - In life, it's theorized that somewhere there is a place where everything feels right. Where everything is positive, harmonious and comforting, both physically and mentally. A paradise.

Some might call it Utopia or Shangri-La.

For Mariko Strickland, that place is called Long Beach State.

After two trying seasons at San Diego State, Strickland transferred to L.B. State for her final two seasons of eligibility. It's a decision that she relishes every time she steps onto the soccer field.

"There's a good vibe," the junior midfielder said of LBSU after practice Thursday, the day before the 49ers (2-3-0), ranked No. 12 in the Soccer Buzz West Region poll, meet Oklahoma (4-0-1), ranked No. 10 in the Central Region, at George Allen Field for only their second home match of the season. They also host undefeated Baylor (5-0-1) on Sunday.

After receiving several accolades over a four-year varsity high school career in Hawaii and making Olympic Development Program (ODP) camps and regional teams, Strickland received a scholarship to S.D. State.

But that's when things began to sour.

Strickland played in 43 games, with 37 starts, over her two seasons with the Aztecs, tallying three goals and four assists. Without going into much detail about the issues she had there, she did say she became disenchanted with "the style of play, the coaching staff, the whole team."

She wanted out, so she came up with a list of schools - the likes of Cal State Fullerton, Pacific, Stanford, Hawaii, Pepperdine, Florida and L.B. State - that she was interested in. Strickland was looking for something that was about a 180-degree difference from what she had experienced at SDSU.

The 49ers, obviously, won out and for a lot of reasons.

"Long Beach is mellow," Strickland said, "the coaching staff, the atmosphere."

Soccer-wise, though, the attraction to L.B. State was its style of play, a creative game that allows players to be imaginative within the confines of coach Mauricio Ingrassia's designs.

"I'm more of a creative player," said Strickland, who plays a speedy, attacking/playmaking role from the left midfield. "I'm a ground/combining (passing) kind of a player. It's a style of play that fits me."

She saw a first-hand glimpse of the 49ers' style as a freshman, when L.B. State beat SDSU, 1-0, in double overtime.

That stuck with her during her decision-making process. Seeing that and knowing several would-be teammates, like Tiffany Vaught, Kim Silos, Sara Baca and Sahar Haghdan from playing ODP and on regional teams, and their styles of play, certainly helped land her in Long Beach.

Those friendships made the move to LBSU much easier.

"The girls were totally welcoming," said Strickland, a two-time Mountain West All-Academic team selection at SDSU who is continuing to work on a major in kinesiology. "They made me feel this is where I was supposed to be."

Strickland, who has posted two assists in five games, has fit in at least as good on the field, and Ingrassia couldn't be much happier with her.

"Mariko brings an extra dimension to the team; she brings the best out in others around her," said Ingrassia, who was impressed when he first saw her play in high school during a recruiting trip (she had already committed to SDSU). "She thinks the game, has great ball control and is an exciting player. She fits our personality and our style."

Strickland isn't just happy to be playing college soccer. Like the rest of her LBSU teammates, she wants to win.

"I knew it (LBSU) was an up-and-coming team," Strickland said. "For myself, I thought it would be exciting to be part of it, part of the tidal wave coming in."