SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Despite cold temperatures and snow at kickoff, there was no deterring the Cal women's soccer team, as the Golden Bears (10-2-1, 3-1-1 Pac-12) wrapped up their two-game road trip with a 2-0 victory over Utah (5-6-2, 0-4-1 Pac-12) on Sunday afternoon at Ute Soccer Field. Freshman midfielder Luca Deza paced the team with a goal and an assist, while senior goalkeeper Emily Boyd made a season-high saves to secure Cal's fifth shutout in the last seven games.

Deza opened the scoring in the 19^th minute, converting inside the box off an assist from tri-captain Haley Lukas. Five minutes later, it was Deza playing distributer, slipping sophomore striker Abi Kim through for the finish. It was the sixth goal of the season for Kim, the most by any Cal player in 2017 and doubling her total from last year. 

The win puts Cal at 3-0 on the road in conference play and marks the Golden Bears' fifth consecutive win away from home this season, the team's longest road winning streak since the 2012 season. Sunday's victory also marks the Golden Bears' 10^th win in the 2017 campaign, giving head coach Neil McGuire double-digit victories in 10 of his 11 seasons in Berkeley.

Cal's offense got going early in Sunday's match as Deza found the back of the net in the 19^th minute, the earliest goal scored by the Golden Bears this season. Lukas played a ball over the top from the left wing that bounced in behind the back line. Deza shielded off her defender and spun for an athletic finish from close range. It was the second assist of the season for Lukas and marked the second career goal for Deza, who has started the last seven games for the Golden Bears.

Less than five minutes later, Deza got back on the scoresheet with her third assist of the year. The rookie from Belmont, California picked up the ball in the midfield and dribbled at the Utes backline, drawing out the defense before slipping the ball through to an oncoming Kim. The sophomore striker took a touch and finished to the far post from 10 yards out for her team-leading sixth goal of the season. Cal remained active in the attack the rest of the first half and took a 2-0 lead into the lockerroom, the Bears' largest halftime lead of the season.

While the offense was the story of the first half, Cal's defense was on display over final 45 minutes as Utah ramped up the offensive pressure. Facing their fifth consecutive loss in Pac-12 play, the Utes came out energize in the second half and immediately started pressing in the attack. Boyd made six of her season-high nine saves in the second half, as Utah outshot Cal 10-3 in the final period.

Boyd was called into action early in the second half, making a kick save off a close range attempt from Utah's Hailey Skolmoski in the 50^th minute. The Utes had another dangerous opportunity just minutes later, as Boyd picked up a yellow card for a foul outside the box. The ensuing free kick created a scramble inside the area, but the ball was eventually corralled by Boyd. Boyd and the Golden Bears' defense remained active the rest of the half, turning away numerous shots and crosses by the Utah attack. However, Cal's persistence and organization paid off as the Bears earned their second consecutive shutout and seventh clean sheet overall this season.

"Being on the road is always a motivating factor, especially after not performing how we wanted to at home last weekend," said senior center back Indigo Gibson, who has played every minute for the Bears this season. "The road sweep is obviously exciting but getting two shutouts is even better. I think it's a testament to both our defense and the overall structure of our team. Colorado and Utah are very different teams in terms of style of play, so this weekend was a big test for us is seeing what we could deal with. Overall, our whole team defense just played with a lot of desire. Our heads were on a little tighter and that did the job."

The Golden Bears had several chances to add to their lead in the second half, including a free kick from 20 yards out by Gibson that forced Utah goalkeeper Carly Nelson into a fantastic reaction save. Nelson finished the afternoon with two saves as Utah dropped its fourth consecutive game in conference play.

Cal returns to Berkeley next weekend, kicking off a three-game homestand. The Golden Bears host Washington State at 2 p.m. PT on Saturday, October 14 before squaring off against Oregon State on Thursday, October 19, and Oregon on Sunday, October 22.

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