The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
With its first game of the season came some early growing pains for the Long Beach State women’s soccer team, which took time to find its rhythm against Saint Mary’s on Wednesday night.
The Beach gained traction late but couldn’t find the breakthrough, settling for a 0-0 draw at George Allen Field.
“We played each other in an exhibition, so to come into this type of speed of play, you had to grow into the game, right?” Long Beach State coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “We saw the first half was a little dodgy and then toward the end of the half, I felt like we were doing well in the back row, possessing. And then I thought in the second half, we were able to progress better with the ball under control.”
Long Beach State and Saint Mary’s combined for few dangerous chances during a physical opening half, with neither side able to establish sustained pressure.
Cassidy Drago provided the Beach’s first shot in the eighth minute, sending an attempt high. Saint Mary’s responded in the 14th minute when Brooklyn Smith put a shot on frame, but Long Beach State goalkeeper Aurora Schuck made the save.
The Gaels tested Schuck again in the 21st minute, with Brooke Fairbanks putting an attempt on target that Schuck handled to keep the match scoreless.
Long Beach State (0-0-1) began finding more of the ball as the half progressed and produced its best opportunity before halftime in the 33rd minute. Ameera White put a shot toward the bottom-left corner, forcing Saint Mary’s goalkeeper Soraya Souvanaphong to make the save.
The Beach earned a corner moments later but could not turn it into a goal. Ingrassia used the opener to work several players into new or expanded roles as LBSU adjusted to the pace of regular-season competition.
“Cassidy is a good hold-up player. She’s a good finisher,” Ingrassia said of Drago being in the forward spot and Cherrie Cox being in the midfield. “Cherrie’s a midfielder to begin with. We kind of turned her into a winger, but she could play in the middle. She could play up top.”
Ingrassia was particularly pleased with Cox’s work without the ball.
“I thought today was the best Cherrie’s played on the defensive end,” Ingrassia said. “I don’t know if you saw her in the first half, tracking back and then obviously getting on the ball and doing her thing. So, just options. We’re trying to learn new players.”
The Beach’s defense kept Saint Mary’s from generating much in front of goal. Schuck stopped both shots she faced in the first half, while the Gaels were caught offside twice.
Senior Radisson Banks said Saint Mary’s provided the kind of challenge Long Beach State expected in its first match.
“We knew coming in they were going to be a tough matchup, and they were exactly what we thought they were going to be — a great team,” Banks said. “Just really proud of these girls. Like you said, a lot of new faces.”
After an uneven start, the Beach showed signs of settling in as the match progressed, particularly in its ability to possess out of the back and move the ball forward with more control.
“If we had a third 45 minutes, you would have been talking about how do we progress that into box entries and things like that,” Ingrassia said. “But I thought we grew with the game, and I thought to finish attacking is a good sign.”
Long Beach State will have a quick turnaround before facing Colgate on Sunday.
“I’m just really proud of these girls,” Banks said. “It was really nice to fight with them, and I’m excited to look toward Colgate on Sunday.”
