LONG BEACH, Calif. – San Diego women's soccer battled back from a late deficit to earn a 1-1 draw at Long Beach State, marking six straight unbeaten to begin the season, the program's best start in 25 years.
 
For the third time this season, Las Toreras found themselves with their backs against the wall, but clawed back for a result. After going down with 18 minutes remaining, just five minutes later USD responded. It was senior captain Josefine Schlichting who scored off an extremely fortunate rebound off the post of an empty-net miss by her teammate.
 
"I'm proud of the fight we showed tonight," head coach Greg LaPorte said. "This team has shown that we fight harder after going down. Most importantly, we were disciplined when it mattered most. We stuck to our game plan, created chances and nearly won it at the end. It's a performance that we will grow from."
 
San Diego wouldn't have been in the game if it weren't for junior goalkeeper Ilise Medrano, who made seven saves on the night, one short of her career high matched in her last start. For Schlichting, the goal was the forward's third of the season, second game-tying score, finding the back of the net in a second straight match.
 
USD achieves a six-game unbeaten start – four matches of which were ties – for the first time since the team won six straight to start the 2000 season.
 
How it Happened
It was a physical match from the get-go as both teams committed more fouls than chances created, two players and an LBSU coach eventually being booked.
 
The Beach thought they had scored their first goal of the game in the 24^th minute as the hosts saw a shot go bar-down before bouncing into play into Medrano's hands. That was until an official review of at least five minutes overruled the call, ruling that the ball never fully crossed the goal line.
 
The remainder of the first half would remain a deadlock, but both offenses came out swinging in the second. Long Beach State had the larger share of chances, only to be halted by Medrano or clearances by USD's experienced back line.
 
In the 72^nd minute, the hosts finally broke through. The Beach's Cherrie St. Cox parried a shot that came off the crossbar, back into the net – subtle foreshadowing of what would happen roughly six minutes later.
 
Las Toreras trailed for a mere five minutes and 57 seconds until they would get their own assist off the woodwork. In the 77^th minute, freshman forward Amanda Anders broke through, beating the keeper with an empty net look for her fifth goal in five career games.
 
Instead, she rifled the ball square off the post, which ricocheted out to the top of the box. Schlichting eventually gathered it, took a touch, then fired the ball over the goaltender's reach, into the back of the net.
 
USD was unsatisfied, getting a look at a last-minute winner, too. With inside 40 seconds remaining, senior defender Jenna Rubidoux connected her head to a corner kick, only being stopped by the crossbar. The ball would be cleared, and the game would end in a 1-1 tie.
 
Up Next
Las Toreras will look to remain undefeated in their first seven matches for the first time in program history on Sunday, as they return home to host Cal Baptist for a 5 p.m. match at Torero Stadium. USD drew 1-1 at CBU in 2024, LaPorte's first season at the helm.