Oct. 29, 2009

BERKELEY - This weekend's games against Arizona (Friday, Oct. 30 at 2:30 p.m.) and Arizona State (Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m.) are the final home games of the 2009 regular season and the final home games for the squad's six seniors. This week, CalBears.com will be running a Q&A with each of the team's six seniors - goalkeeper Rosie Aguilera, defender Brianna Bak, forward Torrey Delaplane, forward Lisa Kevorkian, midfielder Katie Oakes and goalkeeper Gina Pellegrini. CalBears.com had a chance to discuss the seniors' years in Berkeley and what being a part of the Cal women's soccer program has meant to them, and today's participant is Brianna Bak.

Senior defender Brianna Bak has been a stalwart on Cal's backline for four years. A mass communications major from Manhattan Beach, Calif., Bak is co-captain this year with fellow senior Katie Oakes. After registering the game-winning goal versus No. 11 Stanford (1-0) in the final minute of regulation during her freshman year (2006), she went on to start 50 of 40 games played in her final three years at Cal. She has twice earned a Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention.

CalBears.com: What is your best Cal story or favorite Cal experience?
BB: My sophomore year fall, Gina Pellegrini, Katie Oakes and I were going to a Christmas baseball party, and I decided that we should dress up. Katie and I were reindeer and Gina was Santa and it was really funny.

CalBears.com: What will you miss most about Cal?
BB: I will miss the people especially the team and the laid-back atmosphere of Berkeley.

CalBears.com: What are your career plans and what are you plans after graduation?
BB: I want to go to graduate school and get my MBA, get an internship for the Macy's buyer department and, then ultimately become a buyer for a department store or anything else with fashion.

CalBears.com: Has Cal lived up to or has it been different/better than the expectations you had of it as a freshman?
BB: I have loved every minute of my time here and believe that everything happens for a reason and will only make me a stronger and better person. And I am so glad that i chose Cal because I have 26 girls that will always be apart of my life and will all be at my wedding when it happens.

CalBears.com: What is your favorite place to eat or go in Berkeley?
BB: Intermezzo aka the newly named Cafe Matina.

CalBears.com: What advice would you give to freshmen?
BB: Make sure you enjoy every minute of your time here and have no regrets because before you know it, you are a senior about to be in the real world and wishing you could go back to freshman year to relive all of the shenanigans that happened to you and your class.

CalBears.com: What made you choose Cal?
BB: I chose Cal because I loved the culture. There was something special about Cal women's soccer team and coaching staff. J.T. embodies what it means to be a Golden Bear. When I came up on my unofficial trip, there wasn't anywhere else I looked.

CalBears.com: Do you have a favorite, goal or play from your years at Cal?
BB: Scoring against Stanford my freshman year.

CalBears.com: What are your other favorite Cal sports? Do you attend a lot of that sports' games?
BB: Men's water polo and rugby, men's basketball and lacrosse because I love Catie O'Mahoney.