March 28, 2010

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. - California ended its East Coast road trip with a 2-2 record after dispatching George Mason, 15-11, on Sunday at George Mason Stadium. Eight different players scored goals for the Golden Bears, whose record improved to 3-6 after the nonconference victory. The Patriots also have a 3-6 record after today's game.

"It was our best game this trip," Cal head coach Theresa Sherry said. "It was a nice way to end the trip - on a positive note. We played especially well in the first half. We're trying to treat each half as a game. We did well on the attacking end and with finishing in transition. Every person on the field did their part, and it's exciting to see everybody involved in the team's success."

Sherry praised the play of senior midfielder Alex Tickner, who scored two goals and produced a game-high five caused turnovers.

"Alex had an awesome game," Sherry said. "She was everywhere, on the defensive end, taking the ball down the field and picking the right time to distribute the ball, and then scoring herself. I thought it was her best game this season from start to finish. It was fun to watch her come alive. Our senior class as a whole has been trying to jumpstart this group, and it was fun to see that."

George Mason's Madalyn Jamison led all scorers with six points (3 goals, 3 assists), while teammate Chelsea Gamble added four points (1 goal, 3 assists).

Cal took 1-0 and 2-1 leads on goals, after junior midfielder Emily Abbood converted an eight-meter shot at 00:36 and sophomore midfielder Lauren Johnson set up sophomore attacker Allie Welsh for the latter's first goal at 2:36.

But George Mason moved back into the lead on goals by Jamison (4:59) and Emily Ellisen (5:37), and the Patriots held what would be their last lead of the game at 3-2.

Welsh started a run of three Cal goals with her second, on an eight-meter shot, at 8:30. Senior midfielder Alyse Kennedy then struck at 9:16 and Welsh assisted on sophomore midfielder Vail Horn's goal at 12:58 to give the Bears a 5-3 advantage.

GMU sandwiched a pair of goals around an eight-meter goal by Tickner (16:18), and the Bears still led, 6-5.

Cal tallied the last four goals of the first half - by freshman midfielder Megan Takacs (21:41), Tickner (22:39), freshman midfielder Ali Ellickson (25:13) and sophomore midfielder Vail Horn (8-meter goal at 29:59) - to take a 10-5 lead into halftime.

Ellickson's strike was her first-career goal and point on her first shot as a Bear. Freshman midfielder Melissa Humphrey collected her first assist on Ellickson's goal.

GMU scored the first two goals of the second half to creep back within three goals of Cal at 10-7. The Patriots would get within three of the Bears four more times, as Cal and the home team alternated scoring the rest of the game.

Humphrey tallied her second-career assist on sophomore attacker Tara Arolla's goal at 38:41 that made the score 11-7.

Kennedy (42:02) and Arolla (52:03) converted a pair of eight-meter shots and Abbood (54:59) and Takacs (57:18) scored a pair of unassisted goals for the Bears, who held on for the 15-11 victory. Kennedy's second-half goal, which made the score 12-8, marked her second gamewinning goal of the season.

Junior goalkeeper Allie Shropshire made eight saves for Cal in a complete-game effort. Goalie Sara Longobucco played most of the way and made four saves for the Patriots, whose Brittany Pastrana made one save in relief of Longobucco.

"Shrop did a great job, including on some crucial eight-meter saves," Sherry said. "The defense in front of her was much better, too, contesting shots, putting pressure on George Mason and not giving up great looks."

George Mason held the advantage in shots, 27-20, draw controls, 15-12, and ground balls, 19-17. Cal, which forced five saves out of the GMU goalies and scored 15 goals, wound up putting all 20 of its shots on goal.

The Bears return to Berkeley this week to host Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opponents Denver, on Friday, April 2, and Stanford, on Sunday, April 4.

GAME SUMMARY

	         1	2	F
California	10	5	15
George Mason	5	6	11

California Scoring
Goals: Allie Welsh 2; Tara Arolla 2; Alex Tickner 2; Vail Horn 2; Megan Takacs 2; Emily Abbood 2; Alyse Kennedy 2; Ali Ellickson 1. Assists: Melissa Humphrey 2; Tara Arolla 1; Lauren Johnson 1; Allie Welsh 1.

George Mason Scoring
Goals: Jamison, Madalyn 3; Ellisen, Emily 2; Udovich, Megan 2; Hoyt, Callie 2; Gamble, Chelsea 1; Hilderbrandt, Allie 1. Assists: Gamble, Chelsea 3; Jamison, Madalyn 3.

Goalkeeping
California: Allie Shropshire, 8 saves, 11 GA, 60:00. George Mason: Sara Longobucco, 4 saves, 14 GA, 55:13; Brittany Pastrana, 1 save, 1 GA, 4:47.

Att.: 129.