Oct. 9, 2012

Friday, Oct. 12
1 p.m. PT - No. 14 Cal (11-3-0, 4-1-0 Pac-12) at Arizona State (6-7-1, 2-3 Pac-12)
Sun Devil Soccer Field - Tempe, Ariz.

Coverage: Pac-12 Networks, GameTracker, Twitter
All-Time Record vs. ASU - 8-4-3
Last Meeting With ASU - W 1-0 (9/23/11)

BERKELEY - With its five-game winning run on the line, the No. 14 California women's soccer team heads to the desert for a Pac-12 game at Arizona State on Oct. 12. The Golden Bears (11-3-0 overall, 4-1-0 in the Pac-12) and the Sun Devils (6-7-1, 2-3 Pac-12) square off in a Pac-12 Networks broadcast at 1 p.m. PT in Tempe, Ariz.

Scouting the Bears
• Cal is 11-3-0 overall, 4-1-0 in the Pac-12 and on a five-game winning streak
• Cal is 5-3 when playing at home and 6-0 on the road
• In the midseason TopDrawerSoccer.com rankings, Onumonu is the No. 15 freshman while Kaitlyn Fiztpatrick ranks 87th on the overall top-100 list
• The Bears are ranked in two of the available three polls - No. 14 according to Top Drawer Soccer and No. 22 in Soccer America
• Cal is now No. 32 in the RPI after last week's No. 40 rating
• The Bears are outshooting their opponents by over 100, averaging 17.2-9.1
• Ifeoma Onumonu leads the Bears in goals with eight (three assists, 19 points)
• Two other Bears have broken the double-digit points plateau in Betsy Hassett (13) and Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick (11)
• Emily Kruger has played the bulk of the minutes in goal, owning a 0.95 GAA
• Cal has won its past five games and its most recent four Pac-12 games
• The Bears have scored at least one goal in each of their last 11 matches
• Cal has tallied more than one goal in the past five games, scoring three goals in three of the past four games


Onumonu Named Pac-12 Player of the Week
Freshman forward Ifeoma Onumonu scored three goals to lead Cal to two key Pac-12 wins on the road, making her this week's Pac-12 Player of the Week and a member of the TopDrawerSoccer.com team of the week. Thanks to her three scores and one assist (seven points), the Golden Bears have posted back-to-back series sweeps of conference schools for the first time since 2007. She is now tied for second in the Pac-12 with her team-leading eight goals. In six shots, Onumonu scored thrice. Against Colorado on Friday, Onumonu scored two goals en route to the Golden Bears' 3-2 overtime victory. On Sunday at Utah, the Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native not only tallied the game-winning goal but also chipped in an assist.

Kruger Performs Well in Goal
Junior goalkeeper Emily Kruger earned her keep this weekend, helping the Bears to two wins over Pac-12 schools. Across the two victories, Kruger made 12 stops in 182 minutes of play, allowing three goals as the Bears earned a hard-fought 3-2 overtime victory at Colorado and a 3-1 win at Utah. For only the second time all year, the Bears were outshot by an opponent in the Utes, who fired off 17 shots and forced Kruger to make 10 stops between the posts.

Road Warriors
Cal has performed exceptionally well away from home this season - boasting a 6-0 record - thanks to a 3-2 overtime win at Colorado (Oct. 5) and a 3-1 victory at Utah (Oct. 7). Additionally, the Bears have wins at Pacific (3-0, Aug. 17), Cal Poly (4-1, Aug. 31), UC Davis (2-1 in double overtime, Sept. 7) Nevada (3-0, Sept. 23). On the road, Cal is outscoring its opponents 18-5.

In the Rankings
Thanks to the wins over the weekend, Cal hit its highest point in the Top Drawer Soccer poll at No. 14. Cal has debuted at No. 22 in the Soccer America poll. For the first time since week one, the Bears broke into the Soccer Times poll last week at No. 24. Those rankings have not been updated as of Oct. 9. For the second week in a row, Cal is receiving votes in the NSCAA rankings.

The All-Time Cal-ASU Series: 8-4-3

11/9/97		Away	W	4-0
10/11/98	Home	W	2-1 (2OT)
10/15/99	Away	L	2-0
10/20/00	Home	W	3-0
11/4/01		Away	T	1-1 (2OT)
11/10/02	Home	W	2-1
10/10/03	Away	L	3-2
10/15/04	Home	L	1-0
10/23/05	Away	W	1-0
10/15/06	Home	L	1-0
10/26/07	Away	W	3-1
10/24/08	Home	T	2-2 (2OT)
11/1/09		Home	W	3-2 (OT)
10/24/10	Away	T	1-1 (2OT)
9/23/11		Away	W	1-0

Last Time Against ASU
California opened 2011 Pac-12 play with a 1-0 victory over Arizona State at Edwards Stadium on Sept. 23, 2011. The Bears took charge in the second half, attacking the goal early and often. The Bears' perseverance on the attack finally paid off in the 74th minute. Lauren Battung set things up as the junior worked off her defender and delivered a cross into the box for Katie Suits. She connected on a shot from five yards out that ricocheted off Arizona State goalie Alyssa Gillmore. An alert Grace Leer was right there, corralling the loose ball off the line and punching it in for the score. Cal continued to control possession throughout the match to seal the shutout victory. They out-shot the Sun Devils 13-9 in the match with nine of those shots coming in the second period. Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Kruger posted a pair of saves without allowing a goal against ASU.

Next Week on the Pitch
Cal returns home for a two-game stand with the Evergreen State schools. Washington comes to town for an Oct. 19 game at 3:30 p.m. The Bears then face off against the Cougars of Washington State at noon on Oct. 21. Both games will be played at Edwards Stadium with the Oct. 19 game against UW being broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.

RPI Update
In the latest version of the RPI, Cal has moved to No. 32. In the second edition (Oct. 1), the Bears were No. 40 after starting at No. 57 in the inaugural edition. In the first issuing of the RPI, 13 of Cal's 2012 opponents are ranked in the top 85, and the power of the Pac-12 is further illustrated in this ranking system with all 12 schools in the top 85.

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 displaced Bill Merrell, who posted a 61-20-8 record from 1983-85.

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 - 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 Cal taking third place in the Pac-12, according to the preseason poll. 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 Cal - 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.