April 18, 2008

Box Score

STORRS, Conn. - California prevailed over a feisty Connecticut team looking for only its second win of the 2008 season, edging the Huskies, 16-13, on Friday afternoon. The Huskies actually led at halftime before the Golden Bears roared ahead. Cal's record improved to 9-5 after the non-conference match, while Connecticut fell to 1-14.

"It was an interesting game," Cal head coach Theresa Sherry said. "We came out on fire. It was 4-0, and we slowly let them back in there. Maybe it was lethargic play after just coming off the plane yesterday. But we really, really tightened things up after halftime. I was pleased to see that."

Bears senior attacker Brittany Aungier led all scorers with seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) and sophomore teammate Alyse Kennedy added four goals, including the game-winner. Aungier's assist total tied Cal's all-time single-game record also held by Kennedy and former Bears star Colleen O'Mara.

"Brit did a great job controlling the attack," Sherry said. "People are really tightening up on her, and she's going to goal with her head up, seeing people open. When she gets them the ball, it's great to see people finishing on the other end of those. Brit, Alyse, [Madeleine] Dale, Danni [Zuralow] and our other attackers are making it hard for other teams to guard them. You can't focus on one person."

Cal outshot UConn, 33-24, and had a big advantage in draw controls, 22-9.

On the defensive end for the Bears, junior goalkeeper Morgan Dyson got the start, making eight saves, and senior midfielder Cristen Andrews led everyone with five caused turnovers on the day.

"Cristen did a lot of the dirty work today," Sherry said. "She shut down whoever she was guarding. Especially in the second half, she was part of the determination of the unit to tighten things up, be more stubborn and not give anything up. She's a great vocal leader. Her presence on the field has been awesome for us all year."

For UConn, Jenna Moulton made 14 saves and Katy Ryan scored a team-high five goals.

The Bears broke out to a 4-0 lead on goals by Aungier (at 2:03), Dale (4:08), sophomore midfielder Alex Tickner (4:41) and junior midfielder Ghillie Little (7:17). Aungier assisted on Dale's and Little's goals.

But UConn scored four of the game's next five goals, and Cal led, 5-4. Aungier set up freshman attacker Nellie Hayes for Cal's only goal (10:11) during that span.

Aungier scored her second (16:11) and Kennedy scored her first (16:32), the latter coming off Aungier's fourth assist, and the Bears led, 7-4.

The host Huskies outscored the Bears, 6-2, the rest of the half to claim a 10-9 lead at the break. Junior defender Sam Price scored a pair of goals (19:03 and 22:55) for Cal and UConn's Ryan scored four of her five goals during that span.

Early in the second half, the Huskies' Whitney Michele scored an unassisted goal to give UConn an 11-9 lead at 32:32.

Cal, which went 13 minutes and 14 seconds without scoring, then rattled off the game's next five goals, starting with strikes off free-position shots by Tickner (36:09) and Little (37:29). Kennedy scored her second (40:12), Little scored her third (41:52) and Kennedy scored her third (47:17), and the Bears led, 14-11.

Michele and Robyn Pastuch struck on a pair of unassisted goals to get UConn within one at 14-13.

The Bears held off the Huskies, who only recorded one more shot the rest of the game. In the meantime, Cal got goals from Elizabeth "T" Jahp (54:08), set up by Aungier, and Kennedy (54:51), to clinch the game at 16-13. Zuralow set up Kennedy's goal for the senior attacker's third assist of the game.

Dyson saved a shot by UConn's Kati Kasch as time expired.

Cal plays its final road game of the regular season when it battles the Columbia Lions at 10 a.m. PT on Monday, April 21, in New York, N.Y.

GAME SUMMARY

	         1	2	F
California	9	7	16
Connecticut	10	3	13

California Scoring
Goals: Alyse Kennedy 4; Ghillie Little 3; Brittany Aungier 2; Sam Price 2; Alex Tickner 2; Madeleine Dale 1; Nellie Hayes 1; Elizabeth T Jahp 1. Assists: Brittany Aungier 5; Danni Zuralow 3; Madeleine Dale 2; Emily Abbood 1.

Connecticut Scoring
Goals: Ryan, Katy 5; Pastuch, Robyn 3; Michele, Whitney 2; McGinty, Kim 2; Cerar, Jillian 1. Assists: Michele, Whitney 2; McGinty, Kim 1.

Goalkeeping
California: Morgan Dyson, 8 saves, 8 GA, 47:17; Allie Shropshire, 1 saves, 5 GA, 12:43. Connecticut: Jenna Moulton, 14 saves, 16 GA, 60:00.

Records: California 9-5. Connecticut 1-14.