Oct. 10, 2010
Final Stats
LOS ANGELES -Seniors Megan Jesolva and Alex Morgan teamed up for three goals in the final 15 minutes of regulation to put Cal up, 4-3, in the Sunday afternoon match at USC, but the Women of Troy scored at 88:38 and 94:09 to take the game, 5-4.
In the second conference game of the season for both squads, the Bears handily outshot the Trojans, 21-13, and forced USC keeper Shelby Church to make five saves. The Golden Bears return to Northern California with their record at 5-3-4 overall and 0-2-0 in the Pac-10 Conference while USC improves to 8-3-2 and 1-1-0 in the Pac-10.
"Today's game was exhilarating for the fans, but a heartbreaking loss for us," Cal head coach Neil McGuire said. "We gave them a two-goal lead in the first three minutes of the game but showed incredible character to come back."
USC established its lead at 1:43 with a goal from Megan Ohai and increased that to 2-0 at 3:23. The Trojans held that advantage for the next 62 minutes, when sophomore Lauren Battung brought Cal within one at 2-1. USC moved back up by two at 75:12, but the Bears responded seconds later with Morgan's first of three scores.
Morgan scored again at 86:20 and then notched a hat trick with a goal at 88:24 to give Cal its first lead of the game at 4-3. Twelve seconds after Morgan's third goal, USC tied it thanks to Elizabeth Eddy. In the fifth minute of overtime, Ashli Sandoval scored the golden goal off a free kick, ending the game at 5-4 in USC's favor.
"Going up 4-3 with less than two minutes gave us the chance we needed to win, but we allowed USC back in to score," McGuire said. "We will grow from this and be strong for it. We are proud of the players."
The first of the game's nine goals came halfway into the second minute when Ohai shot it from 25 yards out to the top left corner with Sandoval assisting. It was the Trojans again on the offensive in the fourth, when Eddy fired off from the right side of the top of the box after Morgan Morrow dished her the ball.
Emi Lawson and Battung collaborated, drawing the goalkeeper out and Battung put it in the left corner for Cal's first score of the game. Roughly 10 minutes later, it was Cal keeper Emily Kruger who came out and Eddy who moved around and shot it to the far post, returning the two-goal lead to USC at 3-1.
That score lasted for exactly 39 seconds before Morgan headed it in off a free kick, taken by Jesolva on the right sideline. Morgan shot from inside the box to knot the game at 3-3 in the 87th minute. On a counterattack at 88:24, Morgan tallied her 13th goal of the second to give the Bears a 4-3 lead.
Eddy also completed a hat trick with her third goal at 88:38, finishing at the top of the box to force overtime. Sandoval's free kick at 94:09 was the gamewinner with a shot from the top of the box to the right corner.
Morgan paced the game with eight shots while Jesolva was right behind her with five. Kruger made one save in 94:09 minutes of work. Cal took seven corner kicks to USC's one.
Assorted Notes
-The Trojans have now earned Ws in the past four contests to improve their record with Cal to 10-5-1.
-The Bears' goals at 88:24 and 88:38 were the second latest and latest goals, respectively, scored in a game this season.
-Morgan's hat trick was the fifth of her career.
-Jesolva's three assists were just shy of the Cal record for most assists in a game, which was accomplished by Joy Biefeld against Florida International on Sept. 24, 1989, when she dished off four.
-USC's score in the second minute was the earliest allowed goal for Cal.
-Alex Morgan returned to her Cal squad after missing three games for training and games with the U.S. senior national team. On Thursday, Oct. 7, Morgan tallied her first goal with the senior squad in its 1-1 tie with China.
-Jesolva needs two more assists to move into a three-way tie for fourth on the Cal career list at 18. Currently, she has 16.
-Morgan is one goal shy of tying Tucka Healy for third place on the all-time list at 45. The three goals today were Morgan's 42nd, 43rd and 44th of her Cal career.
-Battung is now second on the team with four goals.
-Already sitting in third place on the Cal career list for points, Morgan now has 104.
What's Next
The Bears return to the friendly confines of Edwards Stadiums for matches against Washington (Friday, Oct. 15 at 1:30 p.m.) and Washington State (Sunday, Oct. 17 at noon).
Cal has struggled in each of the past two seasons against the Apple State schools in enemy territory, dropping each of the past two meetings with both squads on their home turfs. The tables will hopefully turn for the Bears, who are down 8-11-0 against the Huskies but up on the Cougars, 11-6-3, in the all-time series records. Cal boasts a 5-1-3 record when playing at home in Berkeley.
