Tough schedule continues for soccer
If strength of schedule is any indicator of what a team is capable of, the soccer squad has more than met its match.
After losing 3-0 to nationally ranked Arizona last week, the Aggies face a similar challenge as they take on ranked Long Beach State Friday night and Cal State Northridge on Sunday in the City by the Bay Classic, held in San Francisco.
The Aggies lost both their matches in last weekend’s University of Utah Fall Classic. Both Arizona and Washington State used playing styles that the USU soccer squad hadn’t faced before. The speed of play of Arizona in particular prevented the Aggies from taking more than two shots the entire game.
Going into the matches this weekend, the Aggies have analyzed their weaknesses and have prepared to play teams with similar playing styles, said Head Coach Heather Cairns.
“Arizona and Washington State were very high-quality opponents who challenged us to do things we had not had to do earlier in the season,” Cairns said. “I felt like we had some growth and figured some things out against quality opponents.”
Long Beach State is ranked No. 24 in the nation according to Soccer Buzz magazine and seventh in the West Region. Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, two teams the Aggies will face later this season, are ranked high with Long Beach.
The 49ers look to improve their 3-1 record this weekend after losing 1-0 to No. 5 UCLA on Sunday. Long Beach State is led by senior defender Natalie Messina, who was listed on SoccerBuzz.com’s national Elite Team of the Week. She will be assisted by sophomore goalkeeper Liz Ramos, who has made 16 saves on the season and boasts a .941 save percentage.
The Aggies have a 2-5 record against the 49ers, winning most recent match in 2004, which broke a five game losing streak in the series.
“This upcoming weekend’s opponents are very similar to the two teams we just played,” Cairns said. “Long Beach State is similar to Arizona in that both are ranked nationally. Cal State Northridge is comparable to Washington State in that they were both bubble teams for the NCAA tournament last season.”
Sunday the Aggies will face Cal State Northridge. While not ranked, the Matadors have plenty of talent as they return 10 starters and 18 letter-winners. The Matadors lost 1-0 to the Fresno State Bulldogs, currently ranked second in the WAC.
The Matadors are protected by senior goalkeeper Chanel Weber, who has a .909 save percentage. Both USU and CS Northridge have 2-2 records on the season and look to improve.
The Aggies haven’t scored since junior midfielder Dana Peart scored the game-winning goal against Weber State on Aug. 29. Senior forward Charity Weston and junior midfielder Andra Hansen had multiple chances against Washington State, but couldn’t land the ball in the net.