Sept. 19, 2010
Final Stats
BERKELEY - It took multiple formations and 87 minutes, but the No. 16 California women's soccer team scored with 3:06 remaining in regulation to tie Sunday's game against Pacific. After two overtime periods, the Golden Bears (5-0-3) and Tigers (2-4-2) remained knotted, 1-1, for Cal to remain unbeaten this season.
Pacific's Lauren Olvera got her Tigers on the board in the 39th minute while freshman Emi Lawson scored the game-tying goal at 86:54. Cal maintained control in overtime, taking one shot in each of the periods but could not get one through.
"From the minute that ball went in for their goal, I think that we dominated the remainder of the match in terms of possession and attack," Cal head coach Neil McGuire said. "We had a lot of shots and corner kicks, but we just couldn't put it away. It was a testament to our character as a team to come back in the later part of the game and tie it up."
One of the key personnel changes that McGuire made was to push Lawson to forward. Lawson, who has quickly become a key member of Cal's stingy defense that has only allowed seven scores, netted the first goal of her Golden Bear career.
"We moved her up," McGuire said. "We started off in a 4-4-2, changed to a 4-3-3 then went to a 3-4-3 and then went back to two backs with four forwards. We tried everything. Emi has played forward before in her club days, so we threw her up there. We were very fortunate that she found the back of the net."
For Lawson, it was a position in which she felt completely comfortable.
"Even after I started playing center back with my club team, my coach would put me up top towards the end of the game so I kind of knew my role," Lawson said. "I am to stay high, if the ball gets forward, put more pressure on the backline."
In the 39th minute, Laura Hernandez took a corner kick for the Tigers from the right side. Her cross was easily handled by senior Megan Jesolva, who cleared it. Lauren Olvera collected the rebound, dribbled at shot it directly on goal. The ball hooked into the upper 90 for her first score of the season.
"You have to credit Pacific, they scored a tremendous goal from 25 yards," McGuire said. "We were pressing the ball and they put it in the upper left so all credit goes to them."
After only taking five shots in the first half, the Bears stormed out of the locker room at halftime, amassing 12 shots in the second half.
In the 86th minute, Kate Bennett took a corner kick, crossing it in perfectly. Multiple Bears tried to get a handle on but could not get a clear shot off until Lawson. She shot it, the ball hit the cross bar and went in to tie the game and eventually force overtime.
In all, Cal outshot Pacific, 19-5. The Bears earned 11 corner kicks to the Tigers' three. The game, which was played under cloudy skies that started to drizzle at halftime, saw a grand total of 38 fouls with Pacific tallying 20 and Cal ending with 18. Five yellow cards were issued - four to Tigers - Alex Topp, Angelica Figueroa, Kortney Agdeppa, Brittni Beeman - and one to a Bear - Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick.
The Bears worked the UOP keepers, who tallied 12 saves with Jill Medigovich stopping four in her 45 minutes in the first half and Tashia Long making eight saves in the final 65 minutes. The Cal keepers also split time in goal with Lauren Hein starting and allowing the lone goal while Emily Kruger played the second half and overtime periods, making two stops.
Senior forward Alex Morgan took a match-high five shots, four on goal. Sophomore forward Lauren Battung was right behind her with four.
The game halts a three-game winning streak for Cal against Pacific, moving the all-time record with the Tigers to 5-1-0, still in favor of the Bears.
The Bears beat the Tigers, 3-0, in exhibition play to start the 2009 season, but had not met Pacific in an official capacity since 2005, which also saw a 3-0 Cal win on Sept. 14, 2005. Pacific defeated Hawaii, 1-0, in the Tigers' first game of the season - an opponent that Cal defeated, 8-1. Two weeks after the Bears tied in overtime, 0-0, with Santa Clara, Pacific lost to then-No. 9 SCU, 2-1, on Sept. 10.
Next weekend, the Bears face their second ranked opposition of the season against Portland on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. at Edwards Stadium in what is the highlight of Cal's competitive nonconference schedule. Three of the four national polls place Portland third while TopDrawerSoccer.com is the lone poll out, heralding UP at No. 4. The Pilots hold the all-time advantage at 5-3-2, taking the past four matches, including a 4-0 win last
