COLUMBUS, Ohio – California field hockey dropped a double overtime decision to Ohio State, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon at Buckeye Varsity Field. The Golden Bears allowed three unanswered goals to fall to 7-5 on the season.
 
Megan Rodgers and Melina Moore scored Cal's goals, and Rodgers moved within one goal of joining the program's single-season top 10 record holders with the 13th goal of her rookie season.
 
Janaye Sakkas, Femke Delissen and Lindsay Mathison each recorded assists, with Delissen and Mathison combining for 13 of Cal's 28 assists this season. Both entered the weekend ranked among the top 10 in NCAA action in assists per game, with Delissen coming in at 27th (0.60) and Mathison at 34th (0.56).
 
Most of the first half featured both teams locked at the midfield in a battle for control of the game. It was Rodgers' 30th-minute tap into the cage that made the difference despite Ohio State edging Cal in shots, 4-3. The first 35 minutes included just one penalty corner, taken by the Buckeyes in the 34th minute. Both goalies notched three saves in the first half.
 
A focus on capitalizing on penalty corners in recent weeks has led to improved scoring chances for the Bears, with Moore scoring Cal's second goal of the game on a setup from Mathison and Delissen. She launched the ball high into the middle of the cage at 39:37 for a 2-0 lead.
 
A pair of Buckeye goals in a three-minute span locked the game at 2-2 midway through the second half, starting with a penalty corner goal by Maartje Bongers at 49:22. Teammate Maddy Humphrey, who assisted on Bongers' goal, added a score of her own at 52:13 with a cross into the middle.
 
The Bears nearly closed out the game in the final minute after earning their third penalty corner of the half, but failed to capitalize to send the game into overtime.
 
Ohio State outshot Cal 4-2 in the first overtime period, but the Bear defensed pressed to force each shot wide and send the game into a second overtime.
 
The Bears controlled early in the second 15-minute period, but Buckeye keeper Liz Tamburro saved each of Cal's six shots until Esther Clotet Alsina broke through with the gamewinner at 97:09.
 
Cal goalkeeper Danielle Mentink finished the game with 11 saves, her second consecutive 11-save contest.

HEAD COACH SHELLIE ONSTEAD'S TAKE
"The loss stings, but I am glad we got that experience of playing an OT. That's our first this year and typically we have had a few more under our belt by now. I think that is a positive by-product of more scoring and more wins. You have to play in those games to learn how to finish them. I think we are still on track for getting the building blocks in place for what lies ahead. Tick the box and move on to the next game."
 
CAL'S GOALS
29:42 – Megan Rodgers (assisted by Janaye Sakkas)
39:37 – Melina Moore (assisted by Lindsay Mathison and Femke Delissen)
 
OHIO STATE'S GOALS
49:22 – Maartje Bongers (assisted by Courtney Daniels and Maddy Humphrey)
52:13 – Maddy Humphrey (assisted by Carolina Vergoesen)
97:09 – Esther Clotet Alsina (unassisted)
 
NEXT UP
California wraps up its sixth-straight road game at Pacific in Stockton, Calif. on Friday at 3 p.m.