WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After scoring her first career assist on Friday, Golden Bear freshman Lindsay Mathison continued her successful weekend by notching her first collegiate goal against No. 14 Wake Forest, but the effort that wasn't enough to lift Cal field hockey past the Demon Deacons, 6-2, Sunday in North Carolina. Cal falls to 2-6 in 2016.
 
Mathison scored Cal's second goal of the game, with fellow newcomer Katrina Carter also adding to the scoreboard for the Bears. Carter redshirted in 2015 to recover from an injury and is proving to be one of the Bears' biggest threats in the circle in her debut season.
 
Wake Forest scored the first two goals of the game within a three-minute span starting at 9:05, but the Bears quickly pulled together to set Carter up for her goal at 15:25, assisted by junior Mara Gutierrez. Carter positioned herself in front of the goalie as Gutierrez neared the inside of the circle, then reached for it in front to slip it in for Cal's first goal of the game, 2-1.
 
The Deacs would score two more before halftime, including one on a penalty corner, to lead 4-1 despite an even 6-6 shot output. Starting goalkeeper Cat O'Connor saved two shots from the Golden Bears, and Cal goalie Kori Griswold also saved a pair of goals in the first half.
 
Nicola Pluta would be the only Deacon to score in the second half, but she turned in a pair of goals at 39:41 and 53:23 to finish the day with a hat trick after scoring on the penalty corner in the first half.
 
Mathison's tally at 46:31 added a second goal for the Bears when she took a cross from Carter and deflected it in.
 
Despite the loss, Cal's offense is slowly starting to jell together. The Bears have scored two or more goals in three of the last four contests. Up until Friday, only sophomores Melina Moore, Janaye Sakkas and Carter had scored this season, but Mathison and senior Sydney Earle added goals to their stat lines this weekend for a total of five different Bears with goals, and seven with assists.
 
GOLDEN BEAR GOALS
15:25 – Katrina Carter (assisted by Mara Gutierrez)
Carter says: Mara dribbled to the baseline in the circle and I was trying to get a better position but decided it'd be better to block the goalie out. When she passed it across, I was able to snag it from in front and slip it in the goal.
 
46:31 – Lindsay Mathison (assisted by Katrina Carter)
Mathison says: I was running to back post and KC crossed it on her backhand, and I deflected it in.
 
WAKE FOREST'S GOALS
9:05 – Emily Conroe (assisted by Nicola Pluta)
11:38 – Madi Julius (unassisted)
22:10 – Jule Grashoff (assisted by Nicola Pluta)
31:23 – Nicola Pluta (assisted by Jule Grashoff, Emily Conroe)
39:41 – Nicola Pluta (unassisted)
53:23 – Nicola Pluta (assisted by Jule Grashoff)
 
NEXT UP
The Golden Bears open America East conference action by hosting West Division opponent UC Davis on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.