LONG BEACH, Calif. – No. 17 Auburn soccer (6-0-0) jumped out to an early lead that stood up in a 1-0 win at Long Beach State (3-3-0) Sunday afternoon at George Allen Field.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 6-0-0 for just the third time in program history. Auburn also started the 2002 and 2015 seasons with the same record.
The match was also the first time Long Beach State lost at home this season.
"The sign of a great team is you can win when you don't play well," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "I didn't think our soccer was great today, but we fought and battled for each other. We stayed with each other through a lot of adversity, and that's what I'm really happy about. Our team continued to fight and deal with whatever was thrown at them."
California native Gianna Montini scored the lone goal in the match in front of about 15 of her family and friends. The goal was her first since 2016 and the second of her career, both of which have been game-winners.
After Long Beach State defended a throw in on the far side, Montini dispossessed the Beach in the attacking third and fired with the right foot from outside the 18-yard box. The ball hit the crossbar and ricocheted off the goalkeeper's back into the net.
"It was amazing to be home and just put that one away for the team," Montini said. "It was more about the team and my mom today. Everyone fought hard, we put it away and I couldn't be more proud."
From there, redshirt senior goalkeeper Sarah Le Beau and the Auburn back line defended 14 Long Beach State shots en route to pitching its second straight shutout and fourth of the season. Le Beau made six saves in the match, including a pair from point blank, and helped extend the team's scoreless streak to more than 225 minutes. The shutout was the 25th of her career.
"We gutted it out and I couldn't be more proud," Le Beau said. "I'm just really proud of our overall team defending. People started putting their bodies on the line, blocking shots and being tight in the box. We paid attention to detail and that's one of the reasons we got shutouts in both games."
Auburn returns to The Plains for a three-match homestand beginning next Sunday, Sept. 9, vs. Cincinnati at noon CT.
Early Goal Stands Up as No. 17 Auburn Defeats Long Beach State
