October 20, 2007

49ers are thrown a loss by CS Fullerton
BWC standings tight after LBSU falls at home.
By Dave Werstine, Staff writer

LONG BEACH - Of the Long Beach State women's soccer team's four losses this season, all of them have come against Top 25 teams.

But that changed Friday afternoon as the 49ers were beaten by unranked Cal State Fullerton, 1-0, in a Big West Conference match at George Allen Field.

"I think our conference is underrated," said LBSU coach Mauricio Ingrassia after the disappointing result.

It was a game the defending BWC champion 49ers could have won, maybe even should have won, as they led in every offensive statistical category - except goals.

Instead, a fluke goal against in the 63rd minute and their inability to find the back of the net for the third time this season cost the front-running, and preseason favorite, 49ers a chance to help distance themselves from the rest of their BWC rivals.

The loss really tightend things atop the BWC standings. LBSU (10-5-0, 3-1-0) and Fullerton (8-6-1, 3-2-0) are tied with nine points, and the winner of today's Cal Poly-UC Santa Barbara game would join the mix.

Sunday's home game against nemesis UC Riverside, which is two points off the pace, looms large.

"Any conference loss is tough to swallow," said goalkeeper Liz Ramos. "But we've been able to learn from our losses and come back strong."

After yet another slow start, failing to get into any kind of rhythm and as a result few quality scoring chances, the 49ers picked up their game in the second half.

But it was the Titans who managed to score.

In the 63rd minute, defender Jenae Gibbens threw the ball in for CSUF. She tossed it into the penalty box from about 25-30 yards out. It missed its mark - and everything else for that matter - and bounced into the far corner of the net.

"It was a culmination of things," said Ramos, who was screened on the play. "There was a sudden movement (between a pair of players going for the ball) and it was right there. I just couldn't react quickly enough."

The 49ers, meanwhile, didn't find any luck.

As the minutes grew shorter, LBSU sent more and more numbers up front in an attempt to get the equalizer.

The 49ers had their chances, maybe their best opportunity coming on a through ball to Sahar Haghdan, whose attempt in the final 10 minutes was thwarted by goalkeeper Shayla Sabin sliding out to make the stop.

The game ended with Hayley Bolt's shot flying over the net.

"We were a little unlucky not to score," said Ingrassia, whose team outshot the Titans, 13-8, and held the advantage on corner kicks, 5-2. "It's a tough loss, but we'll bounce back."