May 4, 2003

Stanford, Calif. - The #2 seed Bears (11-6, 4-2, MPLL) recorded their best ever offensive output against a Stanford team, but were not able to hold off the 12th-ranked offense in the nation (12.07 gpg), dropping a 15-14 decision to the Cardinal in the championship match of the 2003 Mountain Lacrosse League Tournament Sunday afternoon, May 4 on Maloney Field in Stanford. Cal Sophomore Molly Brady added to her team-leading goal total with a career-high five scores on the day, ending the season with 36 goals, the fourth most goals in a season by a single player in the program's five-year history.

The Bears had previously notched 10 goals against the Cardinal on three separate occasions, but the 14-goal output this afternoon marks the highest goal total ever recorded by a Cal team in the 13 meetings between the two Bay Area rivals. The 29 combined goals are also the most ever totaled in a game between the two squads. Stanford now leads the all-time series, 11-2, while claiming victories in the last nine.

This afternoon's game between the two schools was one of the most evenly matched contests in recent memory. The shot totals were nearly identical with Cal edging Stanford 29-28, each goalie recorded seven saves and the outcome was a one-goal affair. But for the 14th time this year, the opponent took the game's first lead, this time as the Cardinal's Abbi Hills struck at the 2:27 mark. Stanford sophomore Nina Pantano followed with a goal of her own just 44 seconds later to extend the Stanford lead to two. But the Bears answered back as Colleen O'Mara circumvented the 12-meter line, cut through the middle and found the top right corner of the net to get Cal on the scoreboard. Brady tied it up 1:30 later as she came around the back of the goal on the left side and netted her first goal of the day. It was off to the races they went, as the two squads traded a pair of scores each for a 4-4 tie with 18:31 remaining in the half.

Sophomore attacker Claire Calzonetti handed Stanford a 5-4 lead less than a minute later, but on perhaps her most amazing goal of the day, Brady slipped and fell at the top of the 8-meter fan only to get up again and split two defenders to tie the game at 5-5. As if taking a cue from the gutsy play from her teammate, junior midfielder Carley Preble knocked in consecutive free position goals to extend the Cal lead to 7-5. Junior midfielder Julianne Wu tacked on a late first-half score as the Bears went into the break with an 8-6 advantage.

Midfielder Kelsey Twist, Stanford's leading goal scorer, finally got on the board with her first goal of the game in the opening minute of the half. Unfortunately for the Bears, the score just 49 seconds into the second half not only brought the Cardinal within one goal, but sparked a four-goal half for the sophomore. Cal's O'Mara responded with yet another play for the highlight reel, breaking past a defender, faking the goalie and slipping across the crease for the score. Tied up at 10-10 with 21:39 to play, Brady proved that she could provide some highlights as well. She found herself in a 2-on-1 breakaway with Julianne Wu, but did not make the obvious pass and found the top left corner of the net to hand the Bears their third different lead of the game, 11-10. Almost nine minutes later at the 47:26 mark, Brady extended the Cal advantage to 13-11 after taking the draw control at midfield, shaking a defender in the open field and putting it past the Stanford keeper. Cal tasted its fourth two-goal lead of the contest, but this time with only 12:34 left to play. Sensing the urgency, down two goals with the time winding down, Stanford embarked on a comeback that saw it take the lead, 14-13, for the first time since 12 minutes into the first half. Twist handed the Cardinal a two-goal lead with nine minutes left to play, knocking the air out of the Cal squad. But the Bears were not done.

With less than three minutes to play, it was Cal's turn to use the urgency factor to its advantage. Wu responded by knocking in a free position goal with 2:43 to play, bringing the fans to the edge of their seats. Stanford seemed content to play a game of keep away for the final minutes, but Cal was not ready to quit. With one last push with less than 30 seconds to play, the Bears had possession and a chance tie it up. After crossing midfield with 20 seconds remaining, an errant pass gave possession back to Stanford. But Preble managed to wrestle the ball back with 10 ticks left on the clock and the final shot from freshman Schuyler Sokolow never made it to the net. Game over: Stanford 15, California 14.

"We played a great game," said head coach Jill Malko. "We stuck to our game plan and had an opportunity to tie or win it at the end, but unfortunately the breaks did not go our way. I am so proud of this team and the season we had. This team is quality and we proved today and all season long."

Cal concluded its 2003 campaign with an 11-6 overall record and 4-2 in conference. Along with Brady's fourth place mark in goals scored, O'Mara ended the year with 27 assists, for a new single-season record, and 53 total points for the second most in a season.

BOX SCORE:
#2 California vs. #1 Stanford, May 4, 2003
Stanford, Calif. (Maloney Field)

	               1       	2       F
California	     8	       6     	14
Stanford	       6	       9	     15

GOALS: CAL - Molly Brady 5, Colleen O'Mara 4, Julianne Wu 3, Carley Preble 2. STANFORD - Kelsey Twist 4, Nina Pantano 4, Claire Calzonetti 3, Kim Cahill 3, Abbi Hills.

ASSISTS: CAL - Colleen O'Mara 2. STANFORD - Kelsey Twist 2, Abbi Hills 2, Megan Burker, Sarah Bach, Cassie Harvey.

GOALKEEPING: CAL - Eden Coelho (60 minutes, 7 saves, 15 goals allowed); STANFORD - Christina Saikus (60 minutes, 7 saves, 14 goals allowed)