An underwhelming and poorly executed “world record” setting water balloon toss was salvaged by a Long Beach State women’s soccer 1-0 victory against Southern Methodist University at George Allen Field Sunday. Sophomore forward Nadiyah Siqueiros scored the 49ers’ first goal of the season at the 56-minute mark on her third and final attempt.
“When it went over Kayla [Cannon’s] head, I was telling myself, ‘This has to go in, this has to go in,” Siqueiros said.
It almost looked accidental, but Siqueiros would lace the goal in after an assist from sophomore forward Rola Badawiya.
Sunday’s game wasn’t pretty. The first half featured disappointing performances on the offensive side for both teams. Frustrations were high and the game got chippy in the second half.
Cheap shots were thrown, but the officiating crew kept their whistles close and let the game continue. Long Beach State (1-1-0) fans were upset with the calls being thrown against Long Beach in the second half, but the 49ers were able to finish strong.
“We were able to turn it around and come out here and battle for the last 20-25 minutes with the refs not really on our side,” senior goalkeeper Imani McDonald said.
Siqueiros’ goal sparked a defensive intensity that the 49ers hadn’t showed during the match, but with less than five minutes left in the game, the Mustangs had an opportunity to even it up with a penalty kick. Fortunately for Long Beach, the kick went wide right and the team secured the win minutes later. It was a relief for the team after dropping Friday’s match against No. 2 UCLA in its final seconds.
“I’m very proud of the women, they responded to a fluky situation on Friday night and came out and gave us a tremendous effort today,” head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “They did a good job of staying organized and keeping their heads together.”
Defensively, McDonald carried the 49ers with five saves, while Siqueiros and freshmen forward Sierra Castles played aggressively on the offensive end combining for five shots.
While the “world record” setting water balloon toss may have been an utter disappointment, the Long Beach State women’s soccer team proved to be the real show.
The 49ers continue their three game home-stand at 7 p.m. Friday against NorthEastern.