BERKELEY – A halftime adjustment in formation served as the catalyst for No. 16 California as junior Arielle Ship scored two second half goals to lead the Bears to a 2-0 win over previously unbeaten St. Mary's at Edwards Stadium.

Ship, the Pac-12 leader in goals and points, put the Bears (5-1-1) ahead in the 67th minute with assists from fellow attackers Ifeoma Onumonu and Celeste Boureille. She completed her brace with an 89th minute penalty kick to help the Golden Bears run their own unbeaten streak to six consecutive games.

The assist was the Pac-12 leading fifth of the year for Onumonu.

Emily Boyd registered two saves for her second shutout of the weekend against a St. Mary's team that had scored at least one goal in every game this season. The loss was the first of the year for the Gaels (5-1-2).

The Golden Bear attack was aided by a defense that held the Gaels to four shots total – and just two on frame – in a game that saw Cal dominate the attack with a 17-4 shot edge and a 14-3 advantage in corner kicks. After a scoreless first half, California moved from its traditional 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 with Onumonu and Ship up top to create more width and open up the passing lanes to aid in the attack.

“Our first line of defense is always our possession,” California head coach Neil McGuire said. “We want to keep the ball so they don't have an opportunity to go forward. When they did have the ball, I thought our backline and midfield did a very nice job. We're always pleased with a clean sheet, so I'm very pleased overall.”

California drives across the Bay Bridge next week to take on USF in a Friday night contest in San Francisco. The Bears then travel to Cal Poly for a game against the Mustangs on Sunday.

Head Coach Neil McGuire's Take
"We are pleased with today's result. St. Mary's were difficult to breakdown with they way they defended, but our persistence paid off."

"We are happy with another clean sheet, and it's good to see Ari grabbing another two goals, however, this was a total team effort."

Goal Summary
66:52, Cal – Arielle Ship (Ifeoma Onumonu, Celeste Boureille) – Slotted into the upper corner of the net
88:02, Cal – Arielle Ship (-) – Penalty Kick

News & Notes
● Cal's unbeaten streak moves to six games, outscoring opponents 14-3 over that span
● California remains unbeaten after scoring the first goal in a game with a 5-0-1 record
● California was held scoreless at the half for the first time since the season-opening game against BYU, but the Bears responded with two second half goals
● All seven opponents have been held to six shots on goal or less this season after St. Mary's managed two attempts on frame. The Golden Bear defense allowed only five shots on goal in two games this weekend
● Arielle Ship notched her Pac-12 leading seventh goal, 16th point and third game-winning goal of the season
● Arielle Ship had her second multi-goal game of the season
● Ifeoma Onumonu has registered an assist in three consecutive games, getting one each in wins against then-No. 16 Duke, UC Riverside and St. Mary's
● Celeste Boureille tallied her first assist of the season
● Emily Boyd earned her third shutout of the season and ninth of her career
● Isabel Damiani was awarded with her first career start

On The Horizon
California drives across the Bay Bridge next week to take on USF in a Friday night contest in San Francisco. The Bears then travel to Cal Poly for a game against the Mustangs on Sunday.