Sept. 18, 2012
Weekly Release 6 - UA, UN 
Friday, Sept. 21
2 p.m. - No. 15 Cal (6-2-0) vs. Arizona (4-3-1)
Edwards Stadium - Berkeley
Coverage: Pac-12 Networks, Twitter, GameTracker
All-Time Record vs. UA - 14-1-2
Last Meeting With UA - W 1-0 in OT (10/14/11)
Sunday, Sept. 23
1 p.m. - No. 15 Cal (6-2-0) at Nevada (4-4-1)
Mackay Stadium - Reno, Nev.
Coverage: GameTracker, Live Video
All-Time Record vs. UNR - 1-0-0
Last Meeting With UNR - W 4-1 (8/21/09)
BERKELEY - After two consecutive one-game weeks, the No. 15 California women's soccer team plays two matches this week. The Golden Bears (6-2-0) put their four-game winning streak to the test against Arizona (4-3-1) on Friday at 2 p.m. in a Pac-12 Networks broadcast. After opening Pac-12 play against the Wildcats, it's a quick turnaround for Cal when the Bears head to Reno for its final nonconference game of the year - a Sept. 23 match at 1 p.m. at Nevada (4-4-1).
THE LAST MEETING
October 14, 2011
Tucson, Ariz.
Mercik Overtime Goal Leads No. 18 Cal Past Arizona
Sophomore Rachel Mercik scored in the first minute of overtime to lead the No. 18 California women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Arizona Friday night at Murphey Field at Mulcahy Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
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THE LAST MEETING
August 21, 2009
Berkeley
Cal Mows Down Nevada, 4-1, in Season Opener
The California women's soccer team breezed past Nevada, 4-1, on Friday afternoon at Edwards Stadium. The Golden Bears are now 1-0-0 after winning the season opener for both squads while the Wolf Pack falls to 0-1-0. Junior forward Alex Morgan had three goals for the Bears and redshirt junior forward Lisa Kevorkian had one. Cal out shot UNR, 15-2, and 8-2 in shots on goal.
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Scouting the Bears
• Cal is 6-2-0 and currently riding a four-game winning streak
• The Bears' most recent game was a 1-0 win over Penn on Sept. 14
• Cal is 3-2 when playing at home and 3-0 on the road
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Betsy Hassett leads the Bears in points (12) and assists (4)
• Hassett and
Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick are tied for first with 20 shots apiece
• Hassett and
Grace Leer both have a team-high four goals
• Cal has received game-winning goals from six Bears - Leer, Hassett,
Lauren Battung,
Taylor Comeau,
Celeste Boureille and
Ifeoma Onumonu
• Junior keeper
Emily Kruger has played all but 8:35 minutes in goal, with a 0.99 goals-allowed average
• The Bears are outshooting their opponents 141-71, averaging 17.6 to their opponents 8.9
Hassett Leads Bears
Senior midfielder and 2012 Olympian Betsy Hassett scored the Golden Bears' game-winning goal against Penn on Friday, powering Cal to a 1-0 decision. The Bears now stand at 6-2 and up their winning streak to four games. In the 22nd minute, Ifeoma Onumonu jaunted down the field on a solo sprint and crossed the ball into Betsy Hassett at the goal mouth. Though she was flanked by two defenders, Hassett patiently waited for the perfect moment, when she sent the ball to the lower left corner for her fourth goal of the year. Hassett paces the Bears in points with 12, averaging 1.38 per game, which ranks her seventh in the Pac-12. Her four goals knot her with Grace Leer for first on the team and seventh in the Conference at 0.50 per game. Hassett paces the Bears with four assists, putting her in a five-way tie for second in the Pac-12.
Cal on the National Scene
The Bears are tied for 27th in scoring offense with 2.50 goals per game. The Bears are 42nd in won-lost-tied percentage at 0.75 with their 6-2-0 record. Thanks to Kruger's goalkeeper prowess, the Bears are 98th in the country in goals-against average (.983) and 96th in shutout percentage (.375). Betsy Hassett is tied for 67th with 1.5 points per game. Hassett and Leer are 112th in the country with 0.50 goals per game apiece. Hassett's team-leading assists place her 47th overall and her 0.50 assists per game rank her 56th.
Last Week on the Pitch
With a first-half goal from Betsy Hassett, Cal defeated the University of Pennsylvania 1-0 on Sept. 14 under sunny skies on the Golden Bears' home turf. Hassett scored at the 21:32 mark, and the Bears quieted the Quakers for the remainder of the game to up Cal's record to 6-2-0 while Penn dropped to 2-3-0. The Bears took a 1-0 lead into the half along with a 7-6 shot advantage. Both keepers made two early first-half saves. Cal finished the game outshooting the Quakers 13-10. Both goalies tallied three stops apiece in their full 90 minutes between the posts. Cal is now 3-0 in the all-time series meeting with Penn. Cal ups its winning streak to three games just in time for the Bears to open Pac-12 play in a week against Arizona.
In the Rankings
In the Top Drawer Soccer poll, Cal holds steady at No. 15 for the second consecutive week. After starting at No. 19 and spending two weeks in the 17th spot, this is the third week that Cal has owned TDS' No. 15 ranking. The Soccer Times poll has not been updated though the Bears were receiving votes in last week's edition. Cal is unranked in NSCAA and Soccer America. Neither Arizona nor Nevada is ranked in any of the four polls.
Last Time Against Arizona
Rachel Mercik scored in the first minute of overtime to lead the then-No. 18 California women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Arizona on Oct. 14, 2011 at Murphey Field at Mulcahy Stadium in Tucson, Ariz. The Bears extended their unbeaten streak to three matches with the victory and improved to 10-3-2 overall and 3-1-2 in the Pac-12 Conference. It was the Bears' third consecutive shutout and seventh of the season, matching their shutout total from last year. Cal also secured its first conference road victory since Oct. 11, 2009 at Oregon State. California and Arizona (1-11-2, 1-4-1 Pac-12) played scoreless soccer through the first 90 minutes, but it was the 91st minute that decided the match. Taylor Comeau found Mercik in the middle of the box and the sophomore connected on a shot that found the back left corner of the net for the game-winner 46 seconds into the overtime period.
The All-Time Arizona-Cal Series
11/3/95 Home W 3-2
10/11/96 Home W 3-0
11/7/97 Away W 2-0
10/9/98 Home W 4-1
10/17/99 Away W 3-0
10/22/00 Home W 2-0
11/2/01 Away W 2-1 (OT)
11/8/02 Home W 4-1
10/12/03 Away W 3-0
10/17/04 Home W 1-0
10/21/05 Away T 0-0 (2OT)
10/13/06 Home T 1-1 (2OT)
10/28/07 Away W 2-0
10/26/08 Home W 2-0
10/30/09 Home W 2-0
10/22/10 Away L 1-0 (OT)
10/14/11 Away W 1-0 (OT)
Last Time Against Nevada
Cal breezed past Nevada, 4-1, on Aug. 21, 2009 at Edwards Stadium. Alex Morgan had three goals for the Bears and Lisa Kevorkian had one. Cal out shot UNR, 15-2, and 8-2 in shots on goal. Morgan got the Bears on the board very early in the first half - just 5:23 into the game - for Cal to take a 1-0 lead into halftime. Kevorkian scored the ultimate gamewinner in the 59th minute with then-freshman Samantha Walker notching her first career assist. From there, Morgan tacked on two goals - one at 61:15 and her third of the game and season at 71:33.
Kruger Solid Between the Posts
Junior goalkeeper Emily Kruger has played a large part in Cal's 6-2 start. In the Sept. 14 match against Penn, Kruger posted her third shutout of the year in goal - helping the Golden Bears to a 1-0 win over Penn on Friday. The 5-11 keeper made three saves in 90 minutes of play against the Quakers. Two of Kruger's saves came in the first half, when it was especially crucial as the Quakers made two potent offensive drives. Kruger is averaging 0.99 goals per game with a .714 save percentage.
Next Week on the Pitch
Cal continues conference play with two matches against the Oregon schools in Berkeley. The Bears welcome Oregon on Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. in a Pac-12 Networks game. The Pac-12 Networks will also broadcast the Sept. 30 game against Oregon State, which is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. at Edwards Stadium.
McGuire Takes Over Second Place
With 12 victories last season and five this year, head coach Neil McGuire now has 62 career wins in his six seasons with the Golden Bears. Last year, McGuire's victory against USC on Oct. 9, 2011 moved him past Andy Bonchonsky (1991-96) and into third place on the school's all-time coaching victories list. With the win over UC Davis on Sept. 7 to bring his Cal career total to 62, McGuire is now the sole owner of second place. McGuire displaces Bill Merrell, who posted a 61-20-8 record from 1983-85.
Aggies Hand Bears First Shot Deficit
For the first time all season, Cal was outshot by its opponent in the Sept. 7 game at UC Davis. At the end of regulation, UC Davis was outshooting Cal 14-9. The Bears had come into Friday's match-up outshooting the opposition 116-44 and had never been outshot in the previous six games. In the most recent game, the Bears limited USF to just one shot while firing off 17 of their own. Davis ended up outshooting Cal 17-12 in the game with the Bears taking the key two shots in the second overtime period to UCD's one. Cal tallied six corner kicks to UC Davis' four.
Bears Limit USF to One Shot
Cal came into the Sept. 2 game against San Francisco taking 19.8 shots per game to their opponents 8.6, but they took that one step further. Cal limited the Dons to just one shot in 90 minutes with the Bears firing off 17 shots. USF's lone shot came in the first half, when the Bears tallied 13. Two of Cal's four second-half shots resulted in goals.
Leer Named Aug. 21 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week
After singing the national opener for the home opener against San Jose State on Aug. 19, Grace Leer scored a hat trick to power the Bears to a 5-2 win, making her the first Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week. With the three goals, Leer ups her previous career goal count of two to five. After SJSU struck first, Leer equalized with her first goal of the game. With the teams tied 2-2, with just three minutes on the clock before halftime, Leer scored twice to give Cal a 4-2 first-half advantage. With her team down 1-0, and with fresh legs - subbing in just two minutes prior - Grace Leer scored her first goal of the year. Fitzpatrick crossed the ball in from the far side, and Leer collected the loose ball in the six-yard box and fired it in. In the 42nd minute, and flanked by multiple SJSU bodies and the SJSU keeper, Leer found her footing and waited for the perfect moment, when she flicked the ball in. Then, with the 10-second countdown well underway and audible, Leer fired off a shot from six yards out, sending the Bears into the half with a two-goal lead.
Five Goals Best in 15 Games
The five goals scored against San Jose State on Aug. 19 were the most Cal had scored in 15 games. Cal's most recent goal explosion of five goals or more occurred in a 6-1 win over San Francisco on Sept. 18, 2011.
Freshman Pair Score First Goals
In their very first weekend of play, freshmen Celeste Boureille and Ifeoma Onumonu both scored their inaugural career goals. Boureille got her Cal career off on the absolute best foot, scoring the Bears' first goal of the season and her first in the Blue & Gold with a strike in the 44th minute. Her goal was the ultimate gamewinner in the eventual 3-0 victory over Pacific on Aug. 17. In the 55th minute of the Aug. 19 game against San Jose State, Onumonu scored in front of the goal with Kory Lamet assisting.
Cal Opens Season With Two Wins
The Bears began 2012 on a serious high note - defeating Pacific 3-0 on Aug. 17 in Stockton, Calif., and then besting San Jose State 5-2 in the home opener on Aug. 19. Cal is now 25-5-1 in the program's history of season openers. Additionally, the Bears have won 15 of their past 17 lid lifters.
International Golden Bears
Returning to Berkeley freshly off the international pitch are senior midfielder Betsy Hassett and junior defender Ariana Martinez. After playing in last summer's FIFA World Cup, Hassett rejoined the New Zealand National Team for the London Olympics. Last season in Berkeley, Hassett played in all 22 matches with 18 starts in the midfield and was a second-Team All-Pac-12 selection. Martinez - who is also a member of the Mexican Senior National Team - played in this summer's U-20 World Cup in Japan as part of the Mexican squad. Martinez transferred to Cal from UCLA and will have two years of eligibility left in Berkeley.
Join the Bears in the Social Media Realm
This season, fans of the prestigious California women's soccer team can get even closer to the Golden Bears - through Facebook, Twitter and the Cal Athletics YouTube channel. By following the California women's soccer team on its social media, fans can get even closer to the team, get breaking-news alerts, see photos and get other inside information. The Cal women's soccer Facebook page features links to CalBears.com stories, polls, insider photos as well as YouTube videos highlighting the Bears. Cal women's soccer Twitter is the best place to find game results, links to stories as well as photos and other insider information. Additionally, Cal women's soccer videos will be posted on the Cal Athletics YouTube channel and then linked on social media.
Remembering Last Season
In 2011, Cal won 12 matches - its most since 2007 - and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship. The Bears, who climbed as high as No. 11 in the national rankings during the year, knocked off Santa Clara on the road in the opening round of NCAAs and nearly advanced to the third round of the tournament, falling to No. 16 Boston College in penalty kicks. Four Bears earned All-Pac-12 honors - Danielle Brunache, Betsy Hassett, Lauren Battung and Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick - and a record 13 individuals were named to the Pac-12 All-Academic team, with Hassett also gaining NSCAA Scholar All-American recognition.
A Look at Cal's Schedule
All but two of Cal's home matches (Santa Clara and Washington State) this fall will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks. The 2012 slate features 10 home contests at Edwards Stadium/Goldman Field, with eight set to be televised by the conference's new networks. The demanding fall slate includes five teams - Oregon State, Santa Clara, Stanford, UCLA and Washington State - that earned a berth in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, including the defending NCAA champion Cardinal.
Pac-12 Coaches Predict Cal to Finish Third
The Conference coaches foresee the California women's soccer team taking third place in the Pac-12, according to the preseason poll released Monday. The third-place slating equals the 2007 predication, which was the highest forecast in the past six years. The 12 coaches selected defending national champion Stanford as the preseason favorite.
Cal's Morgan, U.S. Win Gold by Beating Japan
Former Golden Bear Alex Morgan and the U.S. Women's National Team defeated Japan 2-1 to win gold on Aug. 9 at the London Olympics. Morgan - a four-year letterwinner with the California women's soccer team - assisted on the Americans' first goal. Morgan scored thrice - including one gamewinner - over the course of the London Games, which were the Diamond Bar, Calif., native's first Olympic outing. She had played in the 2011 FIFA World Cup, taking silver with the Americans.
A Golden Olympics for the Golden Bears
A total of 46 Golden Bear athletes, coaches and staff members represented Cal during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and together, they brought home a school-record-tying 17 medals (11 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze). The Bears have won 50 medals over the past three Olympics (16 in 2004, 17 in 2008, 17 in 2012), and they have captured 178 medals all-time (99 gold).
Cal No. 1 Public University in the Country
The University of California is the No. 1-ranked public university in the United States, according to U.S. News and World Report. The faculty has won 22 Nobel Prizes, including nine current members, while 28 alumni have received a Nobel Prize. A National Research Council analysis of U.S. universities concluded that the campus has the largest number of highly ranked graduate programs in the country (48 of 52). Cal also has a long commitment to public service, with more than 4,000 students annually doing volunteer work and more than 3,000 Peace Corps participants all-time.
