BERKELEY –California field hockey found itself down by two goals not once, but twice, in Monday's matchup with Michigan State. Despite the deficit, the Golden Bears battled back both instances, forcing the game into double overtime before suffering an eventual defeat by penalty stroke. The Spartans' stroke in the 96th minute lifted them over the Bears, 5-4, to drop Cal to 0-2 this season.
 
"The heart that it takes to come back down two goals and tie at halftime, then go down two goals and tie it and get into overtime is something that I'm really excited about," said head coach Shellie Onstead.
 
Michigan State attacked early, with Makenzie Brown scoring on a deflection less than 30 seconds into the game. Less than five minutes later, the Spartans added a second goal when Simone Vagnoni successfully completed a corner set play.
 
Cal's first test in toughness came as the Bears fought off their sluggish 20-minute start and the 2-0 deficit, finally breaking through in the 32nd minute with Gabi Jimenez's first collegiate goal.
 
"All of practice this week, I'd been working on flat reverses because I kept hitting them in the air any my coach wants them flat," she said. "It was flat and the ball went in between her legs, which is good."
 
The Bears wasted no time on the equalizer, either, scoring again off a penalty corner just two minutes later. Although Cal's original corner play didn't work as expected, the Bears showed heart once again as Melina Moore improvised on a ball set up by Femke Delissen and Lindsay Mathison.
 
Halftime saw both teams knotted up at 2-2, but Cal led Michigan State in shots, 11-3, and corners, 5-1.
 
The second half saw the Spartans steal the early scores once again with a pair of goals in a three-minute span from the 46th to the 49th minute. Sophie Macadre and Lauren Bonness added tallies for the day, and once again the Bears found themselves in a two-goal deficit.
 
Rookie Megan Rodgers was quick to reverse Cal's fortune, finding the back of the cage with her first career goal after Katrina Carter dribbled a ball into the circle and played it to her left.
 
With a move that has become typical for Janaye Sakkas, the junior captain connected with the ball mid-air in the 65th minute and launched it forward to even up the score, and eventually force overtime.
 
Cal once again owned the offensive advantage in both overtimes, outshooting Michigan State 6-4 with a 4-0 lead in penalty corners. The battling Bears even withstood five minutes down one player after Jimenez was issued a yellow card, but ultimately it was the penalty stroke awarded to the Spartans in the 96th minute that delivered the heartbreaking blow.
 
Katie Miller (2-1) tallied seven saves in her 96-minute performance in goal for the Spartans. Danielle Mentink earned the start for the Bears, logging 35 minutes in the cage before freshman Natalie Dalton made her Cal debut in the second half. Dalton (0-1) suffered the loss, making five saves and allowing three goals in 60:24.
 
Despite a second-straight loss, Onstead and her staff are encouraged by the quick progress the Bears are making. Cal's 24 shots on Monday, including 18 in regulation, are a speedy improvement from the Bears' four shots on Friday.
 
"Between Syracuse and this game, I think the defense has shown that they're playing really quality hockey," Onstead said. "Often this time of year, we're focused on fixing the defense. We're just going to focus on the attack now, and that feels good."
 
"It's something we're finding as the coaching staff, that they're taking what we're saying and putting it on the field and being more coachable overall. They're a little bit more relaxed and settled in. They've been a joy to coach," Onstead added.
 
HEAD COACH SHELLIE ONSTEAD'S TAKE
 
On overall performance:
"The heart that it takes to come back down two goals and tie at halftime, then go down two goals and tie it and get into overtime is something that I'm really excited about.
 
On defensive efforts:
"Between Syracuse and this game, I think the defense has shown that they're playing really quality hockey. Often this time of year, we're focused on fixing the defense. We're just going to focus on the attack now, and that feels good."
 
On offensive improvement from season opener:
"We just knew after Friday that we had to tune up a couple of things in terms of positioning, because they have the skills. They were a little bit better about positioning, which gave us more opportunities. Our offense was a little bit calmer on the ball."
 
CAL'S GOALS
31:53 – Gabi Jimenez (unassisted)
Jimenez says: I was a stick-stopper and then I went in on the corner around the stroke mark. Someone cleared it and I don't even know what was going on…it was chaotic. The ball came to me and I set up for reverse and shot it.
 
33:55 – Melina Moore (assisted by Femke Delissen, Lindsay Mathison)
Moore says: It was a mess-up on the corner but we played through it and stayed calm. Femke received it and saw that I was open, so she passed it over and I shot it on cage and it went in.
 
50:55 – Megan Rodgers (assisted by Katrina Carter)
Rodgers says: Katrina Carter dribbled into the circle and played it to the left. I was there and hit it between the goalie's legs.
 
65:00 – Janaye Sakkas (assisted by Megan Rodgers)
Sakkas says: The goalie popped it up and I swung and hit it down.
 
MICHIGAN STATE'S GOALS
0:29 – Makenzie Brown (unassisted)
5:26 – Simone Vagnoni (assisted by Madison O'Neill, Sophie Macadre)
45:44 – Sophie Macadre (unassisted)
48:49 – Lauren Bonness (assisted by Samantha Siegel)
95:24 – Kendal Anderson (penalty stroke)
 
NEXT UP
Cal returns to Underhill Field on Monday at 3 p.m. to host Michigan State in the second of a four-game homestand.