The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
Despite being short handed due to injuries, Long Beach State women’s soccer has not backed down while hosting ranked opponents this month. That grit and sticktoitiveness earned the Beach a point in a 1-1 draw with No. 4 BYU on Saturday night at George Allen Field.
LBSU (1-2-1) was the better team for most of the 90 minutes and midfielder Makayla Demelo scored the equalizer in the 73rd minute. The Beach outshot BYU 14-5 and opened the game with what coach Mauricio Ingrassia called, “Our best half of the year.”
“I think our team is mentally in a good place, they’re learning from this,” he said. “It’s really hard to play a gauntlet of a schedule, especially with the injuries that we have, and I just give them a lot of credit. They’re learning to take the positives and move forward.”
“It’s taking this game as it’s any other game,” Demelo said. “There’s not a team in the country that we can’t put up a good game against.”
BYU has won nine of the four meetings between these schools. This is the first draw in the series and the first points for LBSU since beating the Cougars 3-1 in 2018.
“We don’t back down to anyone, we’re ready to play anyone,” LBSU forward Liz Worden said. “We’re just finding our rhythm. The wins will come.“
Worden, a transfer from Texas, saw more of the ball in this game than in the losses to No. 6 UCLA and No. 11 Santa Clara. She moved more central with Summer Laskey supporting her on the left flank. They were called for three offsides in the opening 15 minutes but were able to time a move perfectly in the 17th minute and Warden’s cracking shot went off the far post.
LBSU’s nine shots in the first half are more than the UCLA and Santa Clara game outputs combined.
The teams went to halftime scoreless, and the Beach had the better scoring chances in the second half but BYU scored against the run of play in the 67th minute after a controversial call on a quick restart.
Worden moved back out wide in the second half and peppered the BYU 18-yard box with sharp crosses that led to shots and five corner kicks.
In the 72nd minute, it was right back Kana Uchida who started the game-tying moment. She beat her defender and crossed it to Laskey in the heart of the box. Her shot, and a rebound, were both saved by BYU goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez.
The second save led to a corner kick that Worden sent in and Hernaez punched out. Uchida sent another cross back in and it went over the back line to forward Kasandra Ceja. She quickly played it back to Demelo in the corner of the box. The senior lofted a shot towards the back post that went through Hernaez’s hands and in.
“I just saw it go over everyone and they thought that (Ceja) was offsides,” Demelo said. “I just kind of squared my hips a little bit to try and try to curve the ball around (the goalkeeper) It didn’t work out like that but the goal still went in so that’s all that matters.”
After she was mobbed by her teammates, Demelo ran to the grandstand sideline to celebrate with a large contingent of LBSU soccer alumni who were there for a social reunion night.
“They’re such a big part of the organization,” Demelo said of the alums. “We just love our alumni so I just thought that we should include them on their night out here.”
“They’re still competing for us to this day, they compete by sponsoring these beautiful team shelters,” Ingrassia said of the alumni donation that purchased new benches. “They wanted a win so badly. Our Beach family is strong and I’m really proud of all of the alumni of our program.”
LBSU maintained its control of the proceedings down the stretch with players like Julia Moore thriving in 50-50 ball situations all over the pitch. LBSU goalkeeper Aurora Schuck had one save while the back line benefited from a higher press against BYU.
“We’re gone through a lot of adversity during these early games,” Worden said. “There’s a different energy right now. We’re gaining momentum and finding the easy passes and the connection.”
LBSU visits Utah Valley next weekend.
