Soccer, Sports, Women's Sports

Ashley Gonzales expected to make big impact for Long Beach State women’s soccer team this year

With her shy disposition, you wouldn’t expect junior forward Ashley Gonzales to be a powerhouse on the field.

But don’t let her calm voice and small stature fool you.

Even standing at 5 feet 3 inches tall, Gonzales is a force to be reckoned with. With 17 goals in her collegiate career, the junior ranks seventh in Long Beach State history.

That determination to work hard and out play her competition didn’t start at the college level, but is a reflection of her childhood.

At the age of four, Gonzales wasn’t able to join the local cheerleading team due to not meeting the age requirements. While that was a disappointment, her mother switched out the pom-poms and signed her up for club soccer instead.

That move is one the junior does not regret.

From that moment on Gonzales worked her way to the top of her teams while using her hard-nosed mentality to lead her style of play.

Once the forward reached high school, she dabbled in softball before succumbing to her love for soccer.

“I work hard every practice and that in itself gets me motivated,” Gonzales said. “I put in enough effort that I can’t put to waste, I have to make it count.”

At Chino Hills High School, Gonzales was a leader for the team that won the 2014 CIF-Southern Section Division 2 title. Another highlight of her career was the 31 goals she scored during her junior year.

With the Huskies, Gonzales scored 38 goals and dished out 20 assists. The love of scoring a goal and running the field is what kept the junior interested throughout high school.

That passion for soccer and her ability inspired women’s soccer head coach Mauricio Ingrassia to make an offer to Gonzales to play at Long Beach State after her senior year.

“She has a nose for the goal and a healthy addiction to scoring,” head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “She is fearless and plays with endless energy and always shows up in the big games.”

That endless energy was evident during her freshman year at LBSU when she started all 21 games and was named the Big West Conference Freshman of the year in 2014.

In her sophomore campaign, her success on the field continued with eight goals and earned first-team All-Big West honors. Gonzales was also named to the  National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-West Region Second Team.

Now, during her junior year, Gonzales made her presence felt by scoring the game-tying goal against Kentucky Aug. 21.

“It’s honestly an honor to play for such a great program,” Gonzales said, “There is so much history behind our team and I’m proud to be a part of that.”

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