In the last 19 minutes of the game against Santa Clara at George Allen Field on Sunday, the Long Beach State women’s soccer team conceded a goal to complete a 2-1 defeat – LBSU’s first home loss this season.
The 49ers (4-4-3) applied pressure to Santa Clara’s ball handlers, but they started to look tired in the second half.
“We just had a lack of focus,” head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “We put it on them in the first half, they put it on us in the second half. The wind was a factor today. It was close, but we just had to make a few better plays.”
LBSU freshman forward Ashley Gonzales continued to add accomplishments to her debut season. She scored her team-leading fifth goal in the 32nd minute, beating two Broncos defenders.
Neither team was able to get an offensive rhythm in the second half until the 71st minute when the Broncos’ senior forward Sophia Huerta beat a pair of LBSU defenders to score the equalizer.
With the game in the final minutes, the Broncos (6-4-0) began applying more offensive pressure, and the 49ers didn’t respond. In the 90th minute, Santa Clara freshman forward Brittany Ambrose beat 49ers’ goalkeeper Ashton McKeown for the game winner.
The 49ers were without sophomore defender Mimi Akaogi, who was injured and wore a boot on her foot. But Ingrassia didn’t use that as an excuse for why they lost.
“The players that played did a good job,” Ingrassia said. “Obviously, it helps to have [Akaogi], but we should’ve won the game.”
Two other 49ers went down during the game: sophomore forwards Mimi Rangel and Celeste Dominguez. Rangel obtained an arm injury that caused her to stay down for several moments.
“It’s hurting,” Rangel said. “I went, and she pushed me. And when I fell, I landed on my arm and it got extended somehow.”
Ingrassia said there was no update on Dominguez, who was icing her ankle after the game.
The wind played a major factor in the game, Ingrassia admitted. He said it prevented the 49ers from doing some of the stuff they like to do on offense, and they just couldn’t adjust in time.
“The ball wasn’t going the way it should’ve been,” Rangel said. “It was floating in the air a lot of the time. They were beating us in the air. We had our chances as well; we just couldn’t put it in the back of the net.”
The Beach will begin conference play at home against Cal Poly on Friday at 6 p.m., and will face UC Santa Barbara on Sunday at 6 p.m.