Penalty kicks: the soccer purist’s mortal enemy. Games shouldn’t end on fifty/fifty chance—it’s simply not fair.
Long Beach State Women’s Soccer can now relate to this sentiment after losing 6-5 on penalty kicks to UC Santa Barbara for the Big West Tournament Championship at George Allen Field (since the game ended on penalty kicks, goes into the books as a draw). 110 minutes of soccer came down to a few shots off the woodwork. It was rough, folks.
“It’s not a fun way to lose,” said senior midfielder Hayley Bolt, perhaps understating the sting of Sunday’s loss. “It’s hard to determine who’s the better team on penalty kicks.”
LBSU had comfortably beaten Pacific 3-0 in the tournament semi-finals, earning them a spot in Sunday’s final. UCSB won their semi-final match against Cal Poly in penalty kicks, which undoubtedly helped the Gauchos remain composed in extra time.
The loss was certainly no fun, but the game itself was emotional, physical, and downright exciting, and the crowd wasn’t much different. It was a great day for LBSU soccer, and despite not coming away victorious, they certainly won the support of an enthusiastic fanbase.
And there is a silver lining to Sunday’s disappointment, a shiny one at that. Winning the Big West Tournament would have guaranteed the 49ers a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but Coach Mauricio Ingrassia’s team is not out due to their stellar season, which should be good enough to earn them an at-large bid.
The wind was gusty at George Allen Field throughout the game. The first half brought chances from both sides, many spawned from a few lucky bounces and physical play. But as the half wore on, LBSU appeared to hit their stride, keeping the ball out of the wind and on the ground. Shawna Gordon, the freshman, and Lindsay Bullock controlled the midfield, with Dana Farquhar using space on the wing.
With 20 minutes remaining in the first half, Bolt skillfully flicked a cross near the 6-yard box into a cluster of players, UCSB just barely clearing the ball. Often it was sloppy around the net, with LBSU using size and toughness to bully their way in front of the goal, but it was very effective.
UCSB’s offense was mostly limited to long, drawn out counter attacks in the first half. They were simply not moving the ball as smoothly as LBSU, largely due to the play of Bullock and defender Chantel Hubbard, also known as the player who does the flip throw-ins. And when the Gauchos did get shots, keeper Liz Ramos coolly handled them.
The 49ers came out strong in the second half, keeping their momentum from the first period. But this is soccer, and things often happen against the grain. On a questionable call earning the Gauchos a corner, Alyssa Oldham headed home the first goal six minutes into the first half. Before fans had a chance to check the scoreboard, exactly one minute later, Dana Farquhar evened the match with a beautifully struck ball into the top left corner.
From that moment on, LBSU dominated the game and squandered many opportunities to put away the Gauchos, the game ending regulation tied at one. Two sudden death periods elapsed without many opportunities from either side outside of a great Liz Ramos save on a UCSB one-timer.
Breanna Truelove replaced Liz Ramos in the penalty shootout, Ingrassia citing Truelove’s uncanny ability with penalty kicks as the motive for the change. Truelove responded by saving two shots, but it wasn’t enough. With misses from Kristen Kiefer and Yeraldy Hurtado, both hitting the posts, UCSB escaped with the Big West Title.
“It’s a cruel way to finish a match, after two teams battling the way they did,” said Ingrassia. Hopefully, it won’t be the cruel way that ends the season for LBSU. All signs point to the NCAA Tournament.
Photos by Russell Conroy
Photos by Angie Yen
