Oct. 2, 2007

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BERKELEY - The California field hockey team (7-1, 4-0 NorPac) travels to the state of Virginia to play three teams in four days against quality competition that includes two top-20 teams. The Golden Bears play the 19th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 4, at University Hall Turf Field in Charlottesville, take on Virginia Commonwealth at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 6, in Harrisonburg, Va., and battle the eighth-ranked James Madison Dukes at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 7, also in Harrisonburg. The latter two matches will take place at the JMU Field Hockey Complex.

The defending NorPac champions have started off strongly this season, outscoring opponents 26-8 through eight games and producing a 2-1 record against ranked teams. The Bears have also shut out three teams, picked up an overtime win and collected three conference weekly honors. Cal currently leads the NorPac with a 4-0 conference record.

It will only get more challenging for the Bears, who will play a total of seven games against teams that were ranked in the STX/NFHCA poll at some point this season. Cal will play three teams - No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 6 Michigan and No. 8 James Madison - that are currently ranked in the top 10.

Bears Extend Win Streak to 18 over No. 20 Stanford
Four Bears - junior defender Christina McGrath, who scored the gamewinner off a penalty stroke, junior midfielder Carolina Bistue, senior forward Jennifer Crane and redshirt freshman Natalie Nurnberg - scored as Cal defeated No. 20 Stanford, 4-1, for the 18th-straight time on Sept. 28 at Stanford. Senior Liz Braasch (1 save) and junior Kelly Knoche (7 saves) split time in goal for the Bears, who haven't lost to the Cardinal since Oct. 6, 2001.

In the Rankings
Cal is receiving votes in the STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, which ranks the top 20 teams in the nation. The Bears are slated to play four more games against teams that are currently ranked in the poll: No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 6 Michigan, No. 8 James Madison and No. 19 Virginia. The Bears are 1-1 against ranked opponents so far this season, losing to No. 15 Indiana, 2-0, on Aug. 26 and beating No. 20 Stanford, 2-1, on Sept. 23. Both games took place in Berkeley.

In the FieldHockeyCorner.com ratings, which take into account a team's record, a computer rating, opponents' records and strength of schedule, Cal is 19th. James Madison is listed 19th, Virginia is 23rd and VCU is 49th.

Scouting No. 19 Virginia (5-5, 0-2 ACC)
The 19th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers are coming off a 4-0 loss to No. 2 Maryland despite outshooting the Terrapins, 13-10, on Sept. 29 in College Park, Md. The Cavaliers are on a three-game losing streak, including setbacks against 10th-ranked Boston College, 2-1, and 14th-ranked Boston University, 3-0.

Sophomore midfielder/forward Traci Ragukas leads Virginia in scoring (12 points), goals (6) and game-winning goals (2). Junior backfielder Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn, a 2006 All-American, paces the Cavs in assists (3) and game-winning assists (2). UVa has split time between its goalkeepers, with senior Amy Desjadon (315 minutes) sporting a 1.556 goals-against average and freshman Devon Burnley (385 minutes) compiling a 2.545 GAA in five starts each.

Michele Madison is in her second year as head coach of Virginia.

Scouting Virginia Commonwealth (4-6, 1-3 CAA)
Virginia Commonwealth is also on a three-game losing streak; the Rams' last setback was a 2-1 loss to Drexel on Sept. 30 in Philadelphia. They host Longwood on Oct. 3 and James Madison on Oct. 5 before taking on Cal on Oct. 6.

Freshman forward/midfielder Merel Kroon and Jenna Harris are tied for VCU's scoring lead (12 points each) and goalscoring lead (5 goals each). Kroon also leads her team in game-winning goals (3). Freshman midfielder Flore van Dessel paces the Rams in assists (4). In nine games, junior goalkeeper Laura Baker has compiled a 1.60 GAA.

Kelly McQuade is in her first year as head coach of VCU.

Scouting No. 8 James Madison (9-2, 4-0 CAA)
The James Madison Dukes dropped one spot, from seventh to eighth, in the STX/NFHCA poll despite a pair of wins over Drexel, 1-0, and Hofstra, 4-1, on Sept. 28 and 30, respectively. They are on a four-game winning streak. JMU's only losses are to Virginia, 3-1, on Sept. 16 in Charlottesville and top-ranked North Carolina, 2-1, on Sept. 2 Chapel Hill, N.C.

JMU plays at VCU on Oct. 5 before hosting the Bears on Oct. 7.

Sophomore forward Meghan Bain, a 2006 All-American, and junior midfielder/forward Melissa Stefaniak lead JMU in scoring (12 points each). Junior midfielder/forward Lauren Walls paces JMU in assists (5) and sophomore teammate Kelsey Cutchins has a 0.80 GAA in 11 starts in goal.

Antoinette Lucas is in her fourth year as head coach of James Madison.

Glosz Honored for Stellar Play in Wins over No. 20 Stanford, Pacific
Junior Ashley Glosz was named the NorPac Conference Offensive Player of the Week and the Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week for her stellar play in Cal's wins over 20th-ranked Stanford on Sept. 23 and NorPac foe Pacific on Sept. 21. Glosz was also named to the WomensFieldHockey.com Honor Roll.

Cal's leading scorer amassed two goals and a defensive save against the Cardinal, which gave the Bears first place in the conference and extended the Bears' winning streak over the Cardinal to 17 games. Glosz also had an impact on Cal's 6-2 victory over Pacific on Sept. 21, when she tallied an assist in the non-conference home game.

This was Cal's second straight NorPac Offensive Player of the Week honor and third conference award overall this season. In the previous week, Bears junior midfielder/forward Andrea Lo earned the offensive accolade and redshirt freshman Natalie Nurnberg earned the rookie award.

Lo Named NorPac Offensive Player of the Week
Andrea Lo was named the NorPac Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18, after a performance that included two game-winning goals and seven points (2 goals, 3 assists) against Appalachian State and Radford.

On Sept. 18 when she earned the award, the product of West Vancouver, B.C., Canada, led the Bears in scoring (9 points), assists (3) and game-winning goals (3).

Blogging in 2007
Andrea Lo writes a weekly blog that can be accessed via the field hockey page of CalBears.com.

Nurnberg Named NorPac Rookie of the Week
Cal earned its second conference honor on Sept. 18 when Natalie Nurnberg was named the NorPac Rookie of the Week, after scoring her first career points on the Bears' North Carolina road trip.

Nurnberg, from San Jose, Calif., collected her first point and first assist by setting up Glosz's 17th-minute goal against Appalachian State. Nurnberg scored her first career goal in the 22nd minute against Appalachian State. One day later, she scored her second goal in Cal's overtime victory over Radford.

While she redshirted the 2006 field hockey season, Nurnberg did represent the Bears in basketball last year. Playing guard, she joined the short-handed Cal team during its 2006-07 season, collecting one point and one rebound in five minutes of action over two games.

Up Next:
Bears Return Home to Face No. 4 Wake Forest, Northwestern
Cal returns home for two home games, including a battle with another highly ranked opponent: No. 4 Wake Forest. The Bears host the Demon Deacons at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct 12, and host the Northwestern Wildcats at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14.