UC Irvine Beats Long Beach State, 2-0
October 16, 2011 | Women's Soccer
IRVINE, Calif. --- In a battle of No. 22-ranked teams, UC Irvine's defense kept Long Beach State scoreless in a 2-0 win Sunday night at Anteater Stadium as the UC Irvine marching band played for the 728 in attendance.
The squads felt each other out through the opening minutes of the match before any charges were made.
Long Beach State (10-5-1, 3-2-0) was the first to press the offense with some early corner kicks. The 'Eaters would keep them out of the net.
UC Irvine (11-3-2, 4-1-1) would counter with some offense of its own. Lexi Kopf (Sonora / Sonora HS) and Natalia Ledezma (La Mirada / UCLA) began to pepper the goal, but they along with a few other shooters missed high and wide.
Kopf would break the scoreless tie in the 37th minute.
Ledezma settled a ball just past midfield and hit Kopf in stride streaking toward the goal. She flipped the ball around the 49er keeper, Kaitlyn Gustaves, which left Kopf all alone to drive the ball in for the 1-0 lead.
The Anteaters continued to bring on the offense outshooting LBSU 11-2. Kopf had another chance just minutes after the goal as she was all alone against the keeper and pushed the shot just wide of the far post. UCI would take its 1-0 lead into the half.
UCI opened up with some more offense in the second half. Mar Rodriguez (Santa Ana / Santa Ana Valley HS) had a near miss just high of the net. A beautiful cross went just long to a wide-open Jenna Pellegrino (Poway / Poway HS). Pellegrino wouldn't miss on the next opportunity.
She set up Ledezma on a beautiful lead pass as Ledezma charged the net and beat the keeper just inside the far post for the 2-0 lead.
LBSU continued to attack. Nicole Hubbard was able to head a corner kick on net, but right into the waiting hands of Jennifer Randazzo (San Jose / Presentation HS). Randazzo and the defense kept the fierce 49er attack at bay Sunday night including star forward Nadia Link who attempted just two shots, one on goal that came in the final minutes.
The 'Eaters earned their fourth straight victory, and made it four-in-a-row at home, as well.
Randazzo picked up her fifth shutout on the year. Three of her shutouts have come against Big West opponents as she has allowed just one goal in her last four matches. Her two saves up her total to 65.
Kopf scored her eighth goal of the season and earned the game-winner for her fifth on the year.
Ledezma's goal was also her eighth to go with her sixth assist. She shares the goal lead with Kopf while leading the team outright with her six assists and 22 points.
Pellegrino earned her first ever assist as an Anteater giving her three points on the year.
The interesting note of the night came from the corner kick department. UCI had none of them in the match. This was the first match devoid of a corner kick for the Anteaters since Nov. 1, 2007 which came in a loss at Cal State Fullerton.
UCI goes to 4-1-1 in Big West play placing it in sole possession of first place.
UC Irvine and Long Beach State were each ranked No. 22 in different rankings. The 49ers ranking came from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) weekly poll while the Anteaters were marked as the 22nd-best school according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.
The 'Eaters continue Big West play next week as they venture on the road to another strong conference foe in the Cal State Northridge Matadors at Northridge. The match takes place next Sunday, Oct. 23, at 7:00 p.m.
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