Last year, a loss to Cal State Northridge prevented the Long Beach State women’s soccer team from making the Big West Conference tournament.
It was the final game of the regular season, and the Matadors went on to win the conference and advance to the NCAA tournament.
This year, the results are the same, but the circumstances are different.
The 49ers (8-6-2, 2-2-2 Big West) lost 1-0 to CSUN on Friday, seemingly putting a dent in their playoff hopes.
The 49ers came into the game in fifth place, one point behind UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine and UC Riverside.
The Matadors (6-10-1, 1-4-1 Big West), on the other had, entered without a win in conference play. They got on the board first, though, as a header by Breanna McCallum found the back of the net in the 31st minute.
The ‘Niners had trouble creating opportunities on offense, as they managed to get off only four shots in the first half.
LBSU woke up in the second half, though, compiling seven shots in 13 minutes early on. Unfortunately for The Beach, none of the shots found the back net.
Neither team scored in the second half, and the Matadors held on to win their first conference game since they defeated Cal State Fullerton in last year’s Big West tournament finals.
Despite the loss, the 49ers are still just one point behind in the race for spots in this year’s Big West tournament. UCSB and UCR both lost their games this weekend to stay at nine points in the conference standings. LBSU has eight.
The ground the 49ers must make up is small, but they have only two games left to do it. They will play both of those this weekend when they host CSUF and UCR.
The Titans will come to George Allen Field on Thursday looking to improve their chances at advancing to the Big West tournament. The game will start at 6 p.m.
The Highlanders will look to hold onto their fourth-place position in the regular-season finale, which will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday.