March 7, 2001

BERKELEY, Calif. - California did Wednesday what it knew it could do, build a lead and win a game. That's just what the Bears did, in convincing fashion nonetheless, unleashing an offensive punch Vegas-style on visiting Mount St. Mary's, capturing their first win of the season, 17-3, over The Mount inside Memorial Stadium. Eleven Bears scored for Cal during the clinic en route to recording a school-record 10 assists.

"We've been emphasizing off-ball movement and execution for the last two weeks of practice," said California head coach Jill Malko. "I think it finally came together today. It was nice to see that."

Senior midfielder Sarah Wheatley and junior attacker Halsey Monger each scored twice and assisted once in the first half for California (1-3 overall, 0-2 in the WWLL) on the way to an 8-2 advantage for the Bears at recess. Wheatley finished the game leading the Bears in scoring with three goals, her second hat trick of the week.

While an organized and energized offense led to California's victory over Mount St. Mary's (1-2 overall), it was the Bears defense earning unsung hero honors for the afternoon. Strong stick play down low by senior defender Carrie Scribner and sophomore midfielder Emi Tomijima, among many others, stifled nearly every offensive play set by The Mount. The Bears allowed only nine shots on goal, including three free position shots, while taking 33 shots of their own.

"I think we had a lot more team speed then they did," said Malko. "We were able to get the loose balls and create fast break opportunities and that is always the easiest way to score. I think the one word of the day was consistency. We were getting tired of waiting for it."

Senior midfielder Joelle LeMoult and sophomore attacker Kelly Moss each tallied two assists and a goal for the Bears. Freshman midfielder Carley Preble and freshman attacker Besse Gardner each scored their first career goals at Cal during the outing. Preble scored unassisted 11:10 into the first half while Gardner found the back of the net with 28 seconds remaining in the game.

California travels to Denver, Colorado, for two more games this week, taking on the Univ. of Denver on Friday, March 9th, at 7:00 p.m. and American University on Sunday, March 11th, at 12:00 p.m.

"I think these will be two tight games for us," said Malko. "I've heard Denver is very quick and American is a great team with excellent coaching. It will be a challenge for us playing in the cold weather."

GOALS: Cal - Wheatley 3, Kado 2, Monger 2, O'Mara 2, Wu 2, Anderson 1, Gardner 1, LeMoult 1, Mao 1, Moss 1, Preble 1, Mount St. Mary's - Fee 1, Coates 1, Steinbraker 1. ASSISTS: Cal - LeMoult 2, Moss 2, Dunnigan 1, Gardner 1, Kado 1, Monger 1, Must 1, Wheatley 1, Mount St. Mary's - Curran 1. SAVES: Cal - Coelho 6, Chavez 0, Mount St. Mary's - Harrington 10. SHOTS: Cal 33, Mount St. Mary's 9.