Oct. 1, 2009
Box Score
Long Beach, Calif. - In the first Big West Conference opener since 2005 that the Pacific women's soccer team has tangled with Long Beach State, the Tigers walked away with the victory and claimed a 1-0 shutout on Thursday, Oct. 1.
With the win, Pacific's overall record moves to 7-3-2 and 1-0 in the Big West Conference while Long Beach State dropped to 4-6-0 on the season and 0-1 after the conference opener.
In the 20th minute, it was freshman Maricela Padilla (San Jose, Calif.) who knocked in the first and only goal of the match, her eighth goal of the season, off a high 20-yard look that slipped through goalkeeper Nicoline Jorgensen's hands and into the back of the net. Pacific went up 1-0 in the game. On the play sophomore Angelica Figueroa (Linden, Calif.) helped set it up as she's been doing for her teammates all season long, when she ran with the ball off of a free kick play that did not pan out for the 49ers. Figueroa ran up the right side of the field and found Padilla in the middle of the pitch to set up the goal.
While Pacific netted the first goal, Long Beach State took the first shot at 5:28, when Markie Gleason served up a routine save for junior goalie Jill Medigovich (San Diego, Calif.). The Tigers used the return from Medigovich to try and set something up on their half of the pitch as sophomore Kristina Wavomba (Encinitas, Calif.) and Padilla got several looks before the 49ers could clear the ball back onto their half.
It wasn't until the 12th minute, that Wavomba tried her hand at scoring, but 49er goalie Nicoline Jorgensen rolled out to grab the kick and stopped it dead in front of a wide open goal. However, she rebounded quickly and maintained control of the ball and ended Pacific's chances of scoring in that play.
Later in the half, Figueroa carried the ball up the field and passed to Wavomba, who tapped to Padilla and then back to Figueroa who tried to cross the ball in at 16:26, but Jorgensen was there to snag her third save in the contest.
Long Beach State's Lindsay Bullock placed a header towards the goal at 31:12 during a corner kick play, but Medigovich was again there and grabbed her second save of the match.
Then in the 35th minute Janet Mendez attempted a free kick that Medigovich ran out to grab, leaving the goal open. Tiger defenders where there to mop up, as sophomore Alex Topp (San Diego, Calif.) cleared the ball and earned the block for Pacific.
Long Beach State tried for a final scoring attempt in the first half when Nicole Hubbard took a shot from the left side of the field at 44:45 when Medigovich grabbed another save, en route to six in the match.
Pacific led the charge in the first half that saw the Tigers out-shoot the 49ers five shots to four. The Tiger defense remained strong in the second half, keeping the 49ers quiet with four more shots.
Wavomba took her first shot in the second half for Pacific during the 62nd minute from 15 yards out to the right side before it was blocked by a 49er defender.
In the 69th minute, a shot off Long Beach State's corner kick made its way to Medigovich who tipped it out of the box and over the crossbar, leading the way for a second 49er corner. Long Beach State tried to follow up with another shot that went high and out of play.
Pacific returned the ball to its side of the pitch in the 75th minute off a shot attempt by Topp that went high and wide. Then a foul in the 77th minute set up free kick for Figueroa in the middle of the pitch who tried to find Wavomba to the right side of the goal. But she served the ball out too wide, and out of play to give possession back to Long Beach State.
In the game's final minute Long Beach State put up its final shot of the game, when Chantel Hubbard connected with Medigovich for her sixth and final save of the game.
In the match, Long Beach State out-shot Pacific eight to seven, as Padilla led all players with three shots in the match.
The Tigers next return to action on Friday, Oct. 9, for the Big West Conference home-opener against Cal State Northridge. The match is set to kick-off at 7 p.m. from Stagg Stadium.
