Jan. 27, 2007

BERKELEY - The Golden Bears took care of the Aggies on Witter Rugby Field this afternoon, shutting out UC Davis while scoring nine tries of their own. Cal will take its 10-0 record on the road next weekend to face Chico State in back-to-back matches on Saturday and Sunday.

The Aggies worked their way inside Cal's 22-meter line a few times during the contest, but the Bears mustered enough defense to hold Davis and, on several occasions, spring damaging counter-attacks. Captain Chase Brogan scored three tries for Cal. Flyhalf David Poettcker made 1-of-2 conversions and substitute fullback Chris Gurecki connected on 5-of-7 attempts.

UC Davis stayed with Cal for much of the first half before the Bears found their groove. "We were totally out-manned," said Aggies head coach Steve Gray. "You always learn a lot playing Cal. We learned a few things and we'll see if it helps us."

An Aggies breakaway that threatened to spoil Cal's shutout in the 53rd minute was thwarted when wing Scott Kidd ran down the Davis ballcarrier after a 70-meter chase. Kidd had added a try to the scoring line earlier in the second stanza.

Some crowd-pleasing end-to-end sequences masked what may have been the least cohesive performance of the year to date by the Bears. For every multi-phase finish for score by the likes of Joe Welch, David Poettcker, Louis Stanfill and Ross Biestman, Cal sapped its own fluidity with persistent poor passing.

Questionable decision-making and sloppy execution added up to plenty of loose balls on Saturday. "There were a lot of balls on the deck, and we just needed somebody to clean them up," said flanker Kyle Balough. "It's my job to be the first guy to the ball, and if I see it on the deck, go and grab it."

Despite fleeting moments of improving play as a team, the Bears maintained their effort level, resulting in rewards such as the first career try by lock Garrett Cross as a member of the First XV. "I'm still adjusting to the pace," Cross said, "but this is a great game with great camaraderie." Cross is sure to have fans in the stands next weekend when the Bears play in his hometown of Chico. "I've got a lot friends and family that will be out at those matches," he said.

Cross and other Cal locks will be asked to step it up for the rest of the season now that 6-7 sophomore lock Julian Snellgrove has been lost for the year. The dominating jumper will undergo reconstructive knee surgery following a training injury last week. "Julian is such an enthusiastic and gifted player," said coach Clark. "Losing him will be a major loss for our team."

In the reserve-grade match following the First XV, Cal defeated UC Davis by the score of 103-0.

The Bears are on the road for their next four matches, following the weekend visit to Chico with dates at Stanford (Feb. 9) and Sacramento State (Feb. 14) before returning to Witter Rugby Field to host Army on Feb. 17.

The Scoring Timeline vs. UC Davis:

13:00 Chase Brogan 5, David Poettcker 2

34:00 Garrett Cross 5

Half Time: California 12, UC Davis 0

43:00 Scott Kidd 5

46:00 Joe Welch 5, Chris Gurecki 2

55:00 David Poettcker 5, Chris Gurecki 2

58:00 Louis Stanfill 5

65:00 Ross Biestman 5, Chris Gurecki 2

71:00 Chase Brogan 5, Chris Gurecki 2

79:00 Chase Brogan 5, Chris Gurecki 2

Final Score: California 57, UC Davis 0

The Team vs. UC Davis:

15. Taylor (Gurecki @ 40:00), 14. Lopez, 13. Brogan ©, 12. Stevens (Golding @ 31:00), 11. Kidd, 10. Poettcker, 9. Triplett, 1. Wilhelmy (Kroll @ 74:00), 2. Biller, 3. J. Barrett, 4. Fry, 5. Cross, 6. Balough, 7. Welch (Sehr @ 75:00), 8. Stanfill (Biestman @ 60:00)