A busy Cal weekend is underway. It started early this afternoon when Cal's field hockey team fell to Stanford 2-1 in both teams' NorPac opener. Jordan O'Reilly scored the goal for the Bears.
The No. 19 women's soccer team blanked Oregon 2-0. Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick and Celeste Boureille scored for the Bears, who registered their first Pac-12 victory of the season (1-1, 8-3 overall).
Also, today, the men's soccer team is just getting started in its Pac-12 opener against San Diego State. Tonight at 6 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks, the women's volleyball team visits Arizona State.
An early conference season men's soccer showdown highlights a busy weekend coming up for Cal Athletics.
The Bears' men's soccer team opens Pac-12 play Friday at home against San Diego State, and then welcomes conference favorite UCLA to Edwards Stadium on Sunday. The match against the Bruins will air on the Pac-12 Networks.
UCLA is ranked No. 9 in the country and is the defending Pac-12 champion, but the Bears are off to a hot start at 5-2-1 and could challenge the Bruins in the conference race.
Also:
The football team returns home after a two-game road trip and looks to get on the board in Pac-12 play when it hosts Arizona State at 1 p.m. The Bears have won four in a row over the Sun Devils and eight of the last nine.
The women's volleyball team goes on the road for the second straight week to begin Pac-12 play when it visits Arizona State on Friday night at 6 p.m. and Arizona on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. At the end of the week, the Bears will have played 10 of their first 14 matches on the road.
After dropping its conference opener to Arizona, the No. 19 women's soccer team welcomes Oregon and Oregon State to town for matches on Friday and Sunday. Sunday's game against the No. 20 Beavers airs on the Pac-12 Networks at 1:30 p.m.
The fourth-ranked men's water polo team takes part in the SoCal Invitational in Santa Barbara, kicking things off with a match against Air Force on Saturday.
The field hockey team hosts rival Stanford on Friday at 12:30 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks, then goes on the road for a game at UC Davis on Sunday.
Cal's women's tennis team begins its fall schedule by hosting the Cal Nike Invitational. More than 80 players from 13 schools will be in action in both singles and doubles. The tourney runs Friday through Sunday at the Hellman Tennis Complex and Channing Tennis Courts.
The men's and women's cross country teams compete in the Stanford Invitational on Saturday morning. The men go first with their 8000-meter race, followed by the 6000-meter race for the women.
Cal's women's golf team won the Washington State Cougar Cup today, Senior Jacqueline Williams and freshman Hannah Suh tied for second individually. It's the Bears first tourney win of the season.
Tough 27-9 loss for the football team at No. 13 USC on Saturday. The game was competitive until late in the third quarter, with the Bears driving for a potential tying touchdown. But Cal didn't have enough and the Trojans went on to the victory. The Bears, now 1-3, are home for the next two weeks against Arizona State and UCLA.
The women's volleyball team split its first two Pac-12 matches, falling at No. 6 Stanford and then beating Colorado on the road. Middle hitter Shannon Hawari continued her strong season with a career-high 17 kills in the win over the Buffs. Cal is 7-5 overall and travels to the Arizona schools this weekend.
The No. 15 women's soccer team lost its Pac-12 opener to Arizona 2-1 and then beat Nevada 3-0 in nonconference action. Cal had to play most of the second half against the Wildcats undermanned after goalkeeper Emily Kruger exited the game with a red card. All three of the game's goals were scored after that. Ifeoma Onumonu and Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick scored goals against the Wolf Pack, which also helped the Bears cause with an own goal.
The men's soccer team won both of its games in the Cal-Stanford Tournament, defeating Duquesne 4-1 and Loyola Marymount 1-0. Sophomore forward Stefano Bonomo tallied three goals in the two games and now has eight points on the season, tied for the second-most on the team. The Bears are now 5-2-1 heading into their Pac-12 opener Friday against San Diego State.
The cross country team competed in the Panorama Farms Invitational in Earlysville, Virginia and the women placed fourth while the men took sixth. Kelsey Santisteban finished third individually among the women, completing the 5,000-meter race in 17:37.4. Sophomore Chris Walden was the top Cal finisher among the men, placing 23rd in the 8,000-meter race in a time of 24:52.9.
In the season-opener for swimming, Cal featured both the King and Queen of the Pool at the annual pentathlon at Cal Poly. Marcin Tarczynski took the honor for the third consecutive year on the men's side, while freshman Rachel Bootsma dethroned teammate Caitlin Leverenz to win for the women. Leverenz had taken the honor in each of the three previous years. The award goes to the swimmer with the lowest combined time among five events.
The men's golf team began the PING/Golfweek Preview on Sunday and was tied for eighth place in the 15-team field after the first round. Max Homa and Michael Weaver each shot 1-over par 71 and were four stroked behind the leader. The tourney continues through Tuesday.
The Bears had three players reach the quarterfinals of the Audi Napa Valley Tennis Classic before exiting. Senior and 124th-ranked Christoffer Konigsfeldt, senior Riki McLachlan and freshman Mads Engstad all won their groups to reach the quarters.
The No. 4 men's water polo team dropped a heartbreaker to No. 1 USC, 7-6. The Trojans scored the game-winner with 1:38 remaining. Aleksa Saponjic and Collin Mulcahy led the Bears with two goals apiece.
There is still a lot of Cal action on tap for the rest of the weekend. Here's a quick recap of what has transpired so far in Bear-land:
The men's tennis team won all four of its singles matches on the first day of the Audi Napa Valley Tennis Classic on Friday. Junior Ben McLachlan, ranked No. 16, senior Riki McLachlan and freshman Mads Engsted all beat members of the USTA juniors, while senior Christoffer Konigsfeldt beat Stanford's John Morrisey. The Bears split their two doubles matches.
Freshman Rachel Bootsma, in her first event as a collegian, was named Queen of the Pool in the annual Cal Poly season-opener Friday. Bootsma had the lowest combined time after swimming five 100-yard events. Fellow Bear Caitlin Leverenz was named Queen of the Pool in each of the three previous years.
On the men's side, Marcin Tarczynski was crowned the King of the Pool for the third year in succession. Tarczynski had the overall fastest time in the 100 fly, 100 back, 100 breast, 100 free and 100 individual medley.
Stefano Bonomo netted two goals as the men's soccer team routed Duquesne 4-1 on Friday. Kyle Lunt and Tony Salciccia also scored for the Bears, who are now 4-2-1. Cal has outscored its opponents 13-1 over the past four games.
The women's soccer team dropped its Pac-12 opener 2-1. All of the scoring took place after Bears goalkeeper Emily Kruger got a red card in the 51st minute. Arizona's Jazmin Ponce scored a minute later to make it 1-0. Cal tied it up on a goal by Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick, but Ponce scored again for the game-winner.
Two other Cal student-athletes have been named candidates for the Senior CLASS Award - Offensive lineman Matt Summers-Gavin from the football team and defender Steve Birnbaum from the men's soccer team. Check out their accomplishments here:
Cal libero Robin Rostratter has been named one of 30 candidates nationwide for the Senior Class Award for volleyball, given annually to a NCAA Division I senior who has notable achievements in community, classroom, character and competition.
Rostratter unfortunately has yet to play this season because of a groin injury, but her on-field and off-field achievements during her career are exemplary.
Cal's men's tennis team today welcomed the USTA Junior National Team to the Hellman Tennis Complex and Channing Tennis Courts for an exhibition match. The USTA team is comprised of eight players.
Cal will be featured on the Pac-12 Network four times during the rest of this week.
Tonight's women's volleyball Pac-12 opener at No. 6 Stanford at 7 p.m. kicks it off, followed by the No. 15 women's soccer team's conference opener against Arizona on Friday at 2 p.m. at Edwards Stadium. Saturday, the football team's Pac-12 opener at No. 13 USC airs on the network at 3 p.m. Then on Sunday, it's the men's soccer contest against Loyola Marymount at Noon at Edwards Stadium.
Also on Sunday, the No. 3 men's water polo team's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener at No. 1 USC airs on ESPNU at 1 p.m.
Cal would have obviously preferred a victory Saturday at No. 12 Ohio State, but if nothing else the Bears proved they can play with a top team on the road during their 35-28 loss in Columbus, Ohio.
In many ways, Cal outplayed Ohio State. But the Buckeyes were able to break a 28-28 tie with just over three minutes left to pull out the victory.
It was an electrifying game for sophomore tailback Brendan Bigelow, who had touchdown runs of 81 and 59 yards. His incredible 81-yarder was one of the top plays on ESPN's SportsCenter on Saturday night.
Also around the athletic department last week:
The women's soccer team keeps on rolling. The Bears beat Penn at home, 1-0, to improve to 6-2. After splitting their first four matches, Cal has now won four in a row. Betsy Hassett, who played on New Zealand's Olympic team last month in London, scored the goal for the Bears. Hassett has four goals and 12 points to lead Cal this season.
The men's soccer squad registered a win and a tie during the week. The Bears hammered Houston Baptist 5-0, with five different players scoring goals. Then Cal played USF to a 0-0 tie in double overtime. The Bears are now 3-2-1.
The women's volleyball team split a pair of matches against Bay Area rivals. The Bears beat Saint Mary's on four sets on Friday night, with Adrienne Gehan getting 18 kills and Mary McKennon registering a career-high 24 digs. Cal then lost at USF in three sets, the second time the Bears have lost to the Dons this season.
The rugby team opened the fall 7s season with a dominant run to the championship of the Buckeye Sevens Invitational. Cal went 4-0 during the tournament, outscoring Notre Dame, Navy (twice) and Ohio State by a combined score of 113-15.
The men's water polo team went 2-2 at the prestigious NorCal Invitational at Stanford. The Bears beat Air Force 19-2 and No. 6 UC Irvine 14-7 on Saturday. Then Cal lost a pair of heartbreakers to highly ranked teams on Sunday - 11-10 in overtime to No. 2 UCLA and 9-8 to No. 4 Stanford.
The field hockey team went on the road for the first time this season and split a pair of games in the midwest. The Bears lost to Indiana 2-1 in overtime then came back to defeat Missouri State 5-2. Jordan O'Reilly scored two goals in the win.
Christopher Lee has joined Cal's women's water polo coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. Lee is the former head coach of both the men's and women's water polo programs at Penn and has been heavily involved with the U.S. National Team program the past couple years. Lee has coached in the Olympic Development program and was the videographer for the U.S. Women's Water Polo Team that won the gold medal last month in London.
Lee has a major in computer science from Penn, where he also minored in architecture. He also has a Master of Architecture degree from the Penn School of Design. Lee is also pursuing a Master of Science degree at Cal.
Catch football coach Jeff Tedford, fullback Eric Stephens, men's soccer coach Kevin Grimes and cross country coach Tony Sandoval on Cal Coaches Corner tonight. The one-hour radio show devoted to Cal athletics airs from 6-7 p.m. on KNEW 910-AM.
We're in the middle of another action-packed weekend of Cal sports. There is still more to come, but here's what's happened so far:
The football team lost a tough one at No. 12 Ohio State, falling 35-28 in a hostile environment in Columbus, Ohio. The Bears fell behind 20-7 but came back to take a 21-20 lead early in the fourth quarter. The score was tied at 28-28 before the Buckeyes scored a touchdown with 3:26 left to pull it out. Quarterback Zach Maynard was 26-for-37 for 280 yards and a touchdown and interception in the loss. Sophomore running back Brendan Bigelow had an explosive day with touchdown runs of 81 and 59 yards.
The No. 3 men's water polo team continued its explosive start to the season by routing No. 16 Air Force, 19-2, at the NorCal Invitational at Stanford. Collin Smith, Aleksa Saponjic and Colin Mulcahy each scored three goals apiece for the Bears. Cal meets No. 6 UC Irvine later this evening.
The rugby team kicked off the fall 7s season by winning the Buckeye Sevens Invitational in dominant fashion. Cal won three matches on Friday, beating Notre Dame, Navy and Ohio State by a combined score of 68-15. The Bears then came back to hammer Navy, 45-0 this morning to win the championship.
The field hockey team lost in overtime to Indiana today, 2-1. Caroline Struijk scored for the Bears. Cal ended up losing in a shootout.
The women's soccer team beat visiting Penn on Friday afternoon, 1-0. Betsy Hassett scored for the Bears in the first half.
U.S. News & World Report has released its annual rankings of the top universities in the country and Cal assumes its usual perch at No. 1 among public schools.
Just another reminder of the impressive work so many student-athletes are doing here at Cal.
The Cal Athletic Department is setting up shop in Columbus, Ohio this week, and it's not just because of the football team's visit to Ohio State.
While the Bears are taking on the 12th-ranked Buckeyes, Cal's rugby team also begins its fall 7s season at the Buckeye Sevens Invitational, also on Ohio State's campus.
Those are two of a slew of events Cal sports will be taking part in the rest of this week.
The Bears have already gone international this week, with the women's golf team taking part in the Topy Cup in Tangura, Japan. Cal and Oregon are the only women's teams competing in the event, along with a handful of men's teams. The Bears were in first place after the first day Tuesday with a combined score of 280. Junior Nicola Rossler and freshman Hannah Suh each carded 70 for Cal. The tournament runs three days (54 holes).
The men's soccer team also has already been in action this week, and they did so in fine fashion with a 5-0 rout of Houston Baptist on Tuesday. Five different Bears scored, including Tony Calciccia's team-leading third goal of the season. Cal hosts USF on Sunday.
Around the athletic department this week:
The football team faces a big challenge at Ohio State, which is 59-7 at home since 2002. The Bears will have to contend with dynamic Buckeyes quarterback Braxton Miller, who has emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate early on. This is the seventh all-time meeting between the schools, and the first since 1972.
The women's volleyball team is staying in the Bay Area this week, hosting Saint Mary's on Friday night and visiting USF on Saturday. The Bears have won four in a row and are 5-3. One of those losses came to USF at the Wahine Volleyball Classic in Hawaii.
The No. 15 women's soccer team will play its eighth match of the season and third on the Pac-12 Networks when it hosts Penn on Friday. The Bears (5-2) bring a three-match win streak into the game. Cal will look to continue its potent ways on offense - the Bears lead the Pac-12 in scoring with 19 goals.
At the Buckeye Seven Invitational, the Bears play three matches Friday night -- against Notre Dame, Navy and the host Buckeyes. Play continues Saturday morning.
After six straight home games to start the season, the Cal field hockey team finally hits the road this weekend. The Bears play Indiana on Saturday and Missouri State on Sunday.
The No. 3 men's water polo team, fresh off its dominant performance at the Princeton Invitational last weekend in which it went 5-0 and knocked off a pair of ranked teams, plays at the NorCal Invitational Saturday and Sunday at Stanford.
Former Cal star wide receiver DeSean Jackson is making an impact on his community in Philadelphia. Click here to read about Jackson's contribution to our country's service personnel.
Cal junior Collin Smith has been named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week. Smith scored 19 goals in five matches last weekend at the Princeton Invitational. The No. 3 Bears won all five matches, including two against ranked teams.
What a week for Cal athletics. Between football, women's volleyball, men's soccer and women's soccer, the Bears went 6-0. And that doesn't even count the women's cross country team winning their second consecutive tournament, this time at the Hornet Jamboree.
And now, for a wrap-up:
FOOTBALL: The Bears racked up 518 yards of offense in their 50-31 win over Southern Utah, their first victory of the season and first at the new Memorial Stadium. Freshman Chris Harper is off to quite a start to his career at wide receiver. He had seven catches for 94 yards against the Thunderbirds and after two games leads the Bears with 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown.
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: The Bears won the Cal Molten Classic Championship, defeating Penn, UC Riverside and Northern Arizona. Senior middle hitter Shannon Hawari was named MVP of the tourney after averaging 3.5 kills per set and hitting at a .370 clip. Setter Joan Caloiaro was also named to the all-tournament team. Cal is now 5-3.
WOMEN'S SOCCER: The No. 17 Bears notched an exciting 2-1 victory at UC Davis in double overtime. Senior Lauren Battung scored the game-winner at 1:02:25, her first score of the season. Mekenna DeBack scored Cal's other goal, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead at the 33rd minute. Emily Kruger made six saves, including one in the second overtime.
MEN'S SOCCER: The Bears broke a 1-1 tie with three goals over an 18-minute span to trounce Central Florida, 4-1. It was Cal's first home game of the year and evened its record at 2-2. Seth Casiple had two assists for the Bears while Tony Salciccia had a goal and an assist.
MEN'S WATER POLO: No. 3 Cal opened the season with a dominant perfromance at the Princeton Invitational, going 5-0 and outscoring its opponents 82-21. Included were victories over No. 13 Princeton and No. 20 St. Francis. Collin Smith scored 19 goals and Marin Balarin added 14.
CROSS COUNTRY: The women tied Fresno State for the Hornet Jamboree title with 41 points. Christine Bowlus led the Bears individually with a fourth-place finish in the 5000 meter race in 17:49.2. The Cal men finished in third place with 88 points. Renaud Poizat finished in second place in the four-mile race in 19:46.3.
FIELD HOCKEY: The Bears split a pair of games this week, beating Bryant 5-0 and then falling to Drexel 3-2 in overtime. Both were played at Maxwell Family Field. Sophomore Lara Kruggel scored four goals during the week, including a hat trick in the win over Bryant. Goalkeeper Joelle van Hoorn recorded her second shutout of the season against Bryant.
We are live here at Memorial Stadium for Cal's game against Southern Utah. Kickoff is just around the corner. If you aren't watching the game on Pac-12 Networks or listening to the broadcast on KGO, be sure to follow along with all the action here as the game progresses.
Kickoff is in a couple minutes.
FIRST QUARTER QUICK RECAP
After the first quarter here ta Memorial Stadium. Southern Utah leads Cal, 3-0, on a Colton Cook 40-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining in the first period.
Cal QB Zach Maynard was 6-for-8 for 69 yards and an interception in the first quarter, while RB Isi Sofele carried nine times for 45 yards. The Bears were victimized by a pair of turnovers (interception and a fumble), the second of which led to the Thunderbirds' field goal in the first quarter.
The Cal defense has held Southern Utah to just 26 yards in the contest so far, while the Bears have mustered 164 total yards, including 90 through the air and 74 on the ground in the opening quarter.
SECOND QUARTER RECAP
13:23 - A good drive down field by Cal stalled inside the 10-yard line when the Bears were forced to settle for a Vincenzo D'Amato 18-yard field goal just over a minute into the second quarter. A nice 21-yard completion from Maynard to freshman Chris Harper highlighted the drive. A pair of carries from FB Eric Stevens for seven yards and an incomplete pass to Stevens in the end zone ended the TD threat for the Bears.
12:54 - Southern Utah takes over possession and Bears defense continues to impress, forcing the Thunderbirds into a three-and-out.
11:48 - Cal to take over possession with 11:48 to go in the second quarter. Bears orchestrate efficient seven-play drive that covers 94 yards in 2:13 and is punctuated by a C.J. Anderson six- yard touchdown run with just under nine minutes remaining in quarter.
Sofele and Anderson were responsible for every yard on that last drive. Sofele carried three times for 33 yards and caught a 14-yard pass from Maynard, while Anderson carried the ball twice for 41 yards, including 35-yarder during the drive.
5:22 - After another three-and-out for Southern Utah that produced negative three yards, the Cal offense continues its second-quarter momentum.
Sofele continues to rack up the yards, scampering 12 yards into the endzone for a the touchdown. He carried the ball twice for 14 yards during the five-play drive that covered 37 yards. Maynard connects with true freshman wide receivers Chris Harper (for seven yards) and Bryce Treggs (for 23 yards) during the drive.
:25 - Bears add to their lead over the Thunderbirds just before halftime on a 27-yard field goal from D'Amato.
The eight-play, 44-yard drive that lasted exactly three minutes was highlighted by a pair of Maynard to Keenan Allen completions... one for 29 yards and one for 10.
:00 - Southern Utah QB Brad Sorensen's hail mary prayer is answered as Cameron Morgan comes down with the 37-yard completion in the back of the endzone as time expired to cut Cal's lead in half at 20-10.
In a high throw from Sorensen that landed in the back of the endzone, Morgan and two Cal defenders leaped for the ball before Morgan collected it off a tip from one of the Golden Bear defenders. He secured the ball as he went to the ground with one foot in bounce. The play was reviewed and the call on the field was confirmed.
THIRD QUARTER RECAP
8:27 - Southern Utah takes ball to start second half and marches down the field on a methodical 12-play, 75-yard drive that ends with a Sorensen completion to Henna Brown for five yards for the touchdown to cut Cal's lead to 20-17.
5:22 - Bears take over possession, but can't find that offensive spark they had in the second quarter in a five-play drive that totaled just 27 yards, ending in a Cole Leininger punt.
Third quarter comes to an end with the score 20-17. Cal has possession at the Southern
FOURTH QUARTER RECAP
14:54 - It took just six seconds for Cal to find paydirt in the fourth quarter as Maynard connected with his brother Keenan Allen for a 19-yard touchdown to put the Bears up 27-17. Maynard found Treggs twice for a total of 15 yards and TE Richard Rodgers once for 14 yards during the eight-play, 60-yard scoring drive.
10:47 - Southern Utah took over possession at its own 25-yard line. The Thunderbirds were driving (moved the ball 33 yards) and had just entered into Cal territory but a Sorensen pass to the right side was intercepted by Marc Anthony and returned 61 yards for a touchdown to extend the Golden Bears' lead to 34-17.
Cal's Aaron Tipoti cuts Southern Utah's next drive short after just one play with a fumble recovery. Four plays later, D'Amato connects on a 47-yard field goal that bounces off the cross bar and through the uprights to put Bears up by 20 (37-17).
7:28 - The Bear defense forces another three-and-out and Allen puts a bow on this game with a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown to put Cal up 44-17. He mishandled the catch but scooped the ball up immediately and evaded several defenders on his march to pay dirt.
4:48 - Southern Utah counters with a quick score on a seven-play, 57-yard drive in 2:33 that culminated in a Sorensen to Brian Wilson eight-yard strike to cut Bears lead to 44-24.
3:21 - One #2 has scored today and now the other #2 finds the endzone as RB Daniel Lasco storms through the line and races down the field for a 77-yard touchdown run to put the Bears up 50-24 (extra point attempt by D'Amato went off the uprights).
:42 - Southern Utah with another quick drive to the endzone with Sorensen finding Fatu Moala for a seven-yard touchdown strike to make it 50-31 with under a minute to play.
FINAL- That's the ball game! A final from Memorial Stadium here in Berkeley, Calif. Cal 50, Southern Utah 31. Bears even their record to 1-1 as they prepare for first road game of the season next Saturday in Columbus, Ohio against Ohio State.
A busy weekend lies ahead for Cal's sports teams, starting with Thursday night's home debut of the women's volleyball team. Let's take a closer look.
FOOTBALL
The Bears will attempt to bounce back from last weekend's disappointing loss to Nevada in their season-opener and Memorial Stadium-opener when they host Southern Utah. The game starts at Noon and is once again on the Pac-12 Networks.
Following Saturday's game, Cal plays back-to-back challenging road games at No. 14 Ohio State and No. 2 USC.
Interesting note of the week: Senior J.P. Hurrell has played in every game of his Cal career. You might expect that more from a mainstay like Isi Sofele or Aaron Tipoti. But Hurrell has carved out a very nice college career for himself by excelling on special teams.
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
The Bears make their home debut with four matches this week. It starts with an exhibition match Thursday night against Jiangsu, a top club team from China. Jiangsu has been touring the West Coast and is undefeated against some of the best teams in college volleyball -- USC, UCLA, Pepperdine and Stanford among them. Cal then hosts the Cal Molten Classic on Friday and Saturday. The Bears welcome Penn, UC Riverside and Northern Arizona for the tourney.
Cal is unranked this week for the first time since 2002, but put it together in its last match to beat then-No. 6 Hawaii in Honolulu on Sunday. Look for the Bears to take care of business this week and possibly re-enter the rankings Monday.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
The No. 17 Bears take their potent offense up I-80 for a match at UC Davis on Friday night.
Cal is 4-2 after winning twice last week.
The Bears lead the Pac-12 in goals (17) and shots (116).
MEN'S SOCCER
The Bears make their home debut Friday and it's a big one as it's also the team's first appearance on the Pac-12 Networks. Cal plays Central Florida at 4:30.
It will be the home folks' first chance to see 2011 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Seth Casiple.
Central Florida has been to the past two NCAA Tournaments.
Impressive stat of the week: Kevin Grimes has coached the Bears for 12 years and has been named conference coach of the year five times.
MEN'S WATER POLO
No. 3 The Bears open the 2012 to a national audience as they travel to the Princeton Invitational for games Friday-Sunday.
Cal plays twice on Friday, with the second game against No. 12 Princeton airing on ESPNU at 3 p.m. PT. The Bears open the tournament earlier in the day against No. 18 St. Francis.
Cal features Aleksa Saponjic, who won a bronze medal last month at the London Olympics as a member of the Croatian Olympic Team.
CROSS COUNTRY
The Bears travel to Sacramento State for the Hornet Invitational.
Cal got the season off to a strong start last weekend at the USF Invitational. The women's team took first place and the men placed second.
FIELD HOCKEY
Cal takes a 3-2 record into a Friday matchup at home against Drexel. The Bears blasted Bryant 5-0 in their last game on Monday.
With football and cross country opening their seasons, the fall is officially all systems go. There was plenty of action among Cal's teams last week. Here is a recap:
FOOTBALL: The Bears opened the season with a 31-24 loss to Nevada. It was the first game played at the renovated Memorial Stadium, which drew a sellout crowd of 63,186. C.J. Anderson led Cal with 66 yards rushing. Freshmen wide receivers Bryce Treggs and Chris Harper each caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Zach Maynard in their first college games.
VOLLEYBALL: The Bears visited Honolulu for the Wahine Volleyball Classic and dropped two of three matches. But the one they won was a big one -- a five-set victory over No. 6 Hawaii. Cal opened the weekend by losing to Baylor in three close sets then was edged by USF in five sets. Opposite Correy Johnson was named to the All-Tournament Team.
WOMEN'S SOCCER: The Bears responded to a pair of tough losses the previous week by knocking off Cal Poly on the road and beating USF at home. Cal won the games by a combined score of 7-1. Thelma Einarsdottir had two assists against the Mustangs. Betsy Hassett registered two helpers in the win over the Dons.
MEN'S SOCCER: Cal suffered a couple of hard road losses, falling to No. 3 Maryland 6-0 and dropping to Virginia, 2-1. The Bears outshot the Cavaliers 17-10. Sophomore forward Stefano Bonomo scored the Bears' goal against Virginia, the first goal of his career. Seth Casiple had an assist on the goal.
CROSS COUNTRY: The Bears opened the 2012 season with a strong showing at the USF Invitational. The women's team won the team title while the men finished second. Kelsey Santisteban was Cal's top female finisher, placing second at 17:09.70 (5000m race). Augustine Alva finished fifth for the men at 24:52 (8000m race).
FIELD HOCKEY: The Bears played Northwestern to a scoreless tie before the Wildcats scored in the final minute for a 1-0 victory. The loss dropped Cal's record to 2-2 on the season.
We are less than two hours away now from a historic kickoff at the new Memorial Stadium. It will be a special day in Berkeley. Share your thoughts and excitement in a live chat with Cal Assistant Athletic Communciations Director Doug Drabik right here on the Bear Blog. Doug should be here starting at around 11 a.m. to kick things off. Enjoy the day!
