Fresno State Athletics
Soccer Begins Conference Play Friday Against Nevada
10/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 2, 2006
Fresno, Calif. -
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Back To The WAC
With conference play just around the corner, the Bulldogs return to action on Oct. 6 when the team hosts their first WAC opponent of the 2006 season in Nevada. After that, the team will finish their non-conference schedule against Long Beach State before finishing the year with six straight WAC games, facing each team in the conference one time before the team begins the postseason in the WAC tournament in Boise.
Scouting Nevada
Nevada currently holds the best record in the WAC, coming into this week with a 7-2-2 record after recording a win and a tie last week against Northern Arizona and New Mexico at the New Mexico Tournament in Albuquerque. Among the Wolf Pack's wins this year are two Pac-10 opponents, as the team defeated Oregon and Washington State, both on the road earlier this year. On the offensive end, the team is led by Sophomore Karen Zmirak who has five goals this season. Second Team All-WAC honoree Miranda Montejo is also having a strong start, scoring three goals and adding an assist to begin the year. Goaltender Jen Mavis recorded her first shutout of the year against Portland State on the defensive end.
Fresno State vs. The Wolf Pack
As part of the conference schedule, the Bulldogs have faced Nevada for the past six years and have held the edge, winning five times to Nevada's one. However, the Wolf Pack took the last meeting between the two teams, a high-scoring affair in Reno 4-2. Fresno State took the last meeting in Fresno, a 5-1 blowout win in front of 2,005 fans in Bulldog Stadium. With the exception of last season, the three previous meetings were all won by Fresno State by three goals or more.
Scouting Long Beach State
Kim Silos leads an offensive attack that has scored 21 goals this season for the 49ers. Silos, a sophomore midfielder, leads the 49ers in both goals and assists, tallying 12 points in 12 games so far this season. Long Beach State, ranked in the polls topping out at No. 21, began the year with their best start ever, only losing to UCLA before dropping a 2-1 decision at Eastern Washington. The other half of their Washington trip saw the team win their first overtime game of the season 1-0 against Gonzaga.
Fresno State vs. The 49ers
Long Beach State holds a small edge in this recent series after winning the last game between the two teams. The 49ers won an overtime battle last season in Bulldog Stadium, scoring the game's lone goal to take a 1-0 win in overtime. Prior to that, the teams had split their two previous meetings, with Fresno State grabbing their win in 1999, with a 2-0 victory in Long Beach.
Impressing The Nation
With a 2-1 record against ranked opponents, and starting with a 6-1-1 overall record, Fresno State continues to break new ground with national attention, reaching No. 22 in the "Soccer America" poll, and joining the rankings in two other polls, entering the top 25 for the first time since the 1999 season. During that year, the Bulldogs finished the season at No. 24, so Fresno State is already topping their previous best in the polls.
Stonewalled
Much of Fresno State's quick start is due to a stout defense, as the Bulldogs have held seven opponents in 2006 scoreless. Senior defender Rochelle Jagdeo has picked up where she left off in 2005, living up to her reputation as the 2005 WAC Defensive Player of the Year and the Preseason WAC Defensive Player of the Year. Also playing a key role in the run has been senior goaltender Angie Larsen. Larsen has posted seven shutouts in eleven games and has made 66 saves over that period, moving her into fourth all-time in saves among Fresno State goalies in just over one year. Larsen now leads the conference in saves and shutouts this season.
