After scoring only one goal in their first game, it took 60 seconds for the Long Beach State women’s soccer team score their season total to take a 1-0 lead against Fairfield University on Sunday at George Allen Field.
The 49ers (1-0-1) went on to beat the Stags 4-0 in their second game.
Junior forward Jessica Vincent scored from 12 yards out after sophomore defender Alyssa Alvarez put the ball in perfect position for Vincent to deliver a shot to the bottom right corner of the net.
That wasn’t it for LBSU, as sophomore forward Rocio Rodriguez scored to make it a 2-0 lead after junior forward Ashley Gonzales crossed a pass that Rodriguez took advantage of.
LBSU controlled the first half with 11 shots while Fairfield only had four. Senior goalkeeper Ashton McKeown had her first shutout of the year while saving four shots.
In the 45th minute, junior forward Tori Bolden scored another goal to give LBSU a comfortable 3-0 lead at the end of the first half.
LBSU was able to create mismatches that weren’t there when the 49ers faced Kentucky on Friday.
“It’s a Sunday match so it’s a little slower,” head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “Kentucky is a team from a big conference. This team [Fairfield] was a smaller conference team so they approach the game differently and we did a great job keeping possession and going through their lines.”
During the second half, LBSU played their game by keeping possession and controlling the pace of the game.
LBSU took a 4-0 when Gonzales scored her second goal of the season in the 65th minute.
“We stuck to the game plan and played our game,” Gonzales said. “We didn’t let our level of play change from the first half.”
Along with their first win, the 49ers made 12 substitutions and a total of 29 players got playing time.
It was a game of opportunity as nine players had chances to score, but only six of 14 shots were on goal. That will be the production LBSU needs moving forward.
The 49ers will have a tougher match-up when they host University of Southern California on Friday at 7 p.m.
“We are going to take the next game as any other game,” Gonzales said. “It’s a bigger opponent — they have a bigger name and everyone is going to see that but we are going to prepare just the same as we did for these past two games. Nothing is going to change.”