California Golden Bears Athletics
California
Oklahoma
Bears Close Out Non-Conference Campaign
9/13/2017 8:43 PM | Women's Soccer
No. 17 Cal vs Oklahoma
Friday, Sep. 15 | 1:30 PM PT | Edwards Stadium | Berkeley, CA | Pac-12 Network
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK
No. 17 Cal vs No. 14 Oklahoma State
Sunday, Sep. 17 | 11 AM PT | Edwards Stadium | Berkeley, CA
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK
BERKELEY – The California women's soccer team will wrap up non-conference play this weekend, welcoming a pair of Big 12 opponents to Goldman Field at Edwards Stadium. The Golden Bears (5-1-0) host Oklahoma (2-4-1) at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, part of a double-header with the Cal men's soccer team, before taking on No. 14 Oklahoma State (7-0-1) in a Top-25 showdown on Sunday at 11 a.m. PT.
This will be the Golden Bears' first ever meeting against both the Sooners and the Cowgirls. Oklahoma State will be the second ranked team Cal has faced this season. The Bears beat then-No. 24 Santa Clara, 2-1, on August 20.
Cal enters Friday's match on a three-game winning streak, which was kept alive by a 2-1 overtime victory at Sacramento State on September 8. Junior Miranda Nild scored in the 80th minute to level the score at 1-1, and sophomore striker Abi Kim put the match away with a golden goal in the 104th minute.
Kim leads the Bears in scoring this season with four goals while Nild is second, with three goals in her last three matches. Defensively, the Bears have held their opponents to one goal or fewer in every game this season, the only Pac-12 team to do so. Senior goalkeeper Emily Boyd has two shutouts on the season and has a 0.65 goals against average on the year.
The Golden Bears, who are ranked 17th in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, are a perfect 3-0-0 at home this season and have won their last 14 home games in non-conference play, a streak that dates back to the 2014 season.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Friday's match against Oklahoma will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks, with a live stream also available. Live stats will be available for both matches, along with in-game updates on the Bears' Twitter (@CalWSoc) and Instagram (@CalWSoc) accounts.
LAST TIME OUT
Cal came away victorious in its first overtime game of the season, beating Sacramento State, 2-1, in double overtime on a warm and sunny afternoon at Hornet Field. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Nild sent the game into overtime with a strike in the 86th minute and Kim tallied the game winner with six minutes left in the second overtime to give the Golden Bears their second road win of the season.
Sophomore midfielder Maggie Bell assisted both Golden Bear goals for her first points of the 2017 season.
The host Hornets got on the board first, breaking though in the 35th minute on a goal by Kylee Kim-Bustillos. However the Golden Bears bounced back from a halftime deficit for the second time this season, as Nild leveled the score at 1-1 with her third goal in the last three games. Kim provided more late heroics, scoring in the 104th minute to give Cal its first double-overtime victory since 2014.
Cal outshot Sacramento State, 18-9, on the afternoon, including a 4-1 edge in overtime. Boyd matched her season high with four saves, including a point-blank stop in the 13th minute to keep deny the Hornets an early goal.
SCOUTING THE SOONERS
Oklahoma heads to Berkley on the heels of a 2-1 home win over Illinois on September 10. With the win, the Sooners improved to 2-4-1 on the season, snapping a two-game losing streak. Attackers Kaylee Dao and Kristina O'Donnell both scored in the win over the Illini while freshman goalkeeper McKinley Crone made four saves.
Head coach Matt Potter is in his sixth season at Oklahoma, leading the Sooners to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and a third-place finish in the Big 12. Oklahoma was picked to finish third in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll, returning six starters from last season's squad that won a program-record 14 games. The Sooners return a pair of 2016 All-Big 12 selections in senior midfielder Tori Bowman and junior defender Paige Welch. Dao, a redshirt-sophomore from Tulsa, leads the team in scoring with two goals on the year, both of which have been game-winners.
Oklahoma has already faced two Pac-12 opponents this season, opening the season with a 2-0 loss to Arizona and falling to Oregon, 1-0, in Boise, Idaho as the Ducks scored in the 89th minute. The Sooners are winless away from home this season, posting a 0-2-1 record in road and neutral site matches.
SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS
Off to its best start since 2011, Oklahoma State will put its 7-0-1 record to the test on Friday, taking on San Francisco before Sunday's tilt against the Golden Bears. Ranked No. 14 in the latest United Soccer Coaches' poll, the Cowgirls have outscored their opposition, 11-0, over their last three games. Oklahoma State beat Abilene Christian it's last time out, 3-0, behind first half goals by Anna Beffer, Haley Woodward, and Julia Lenhardt.
The Cowgirls have been balanced in the attack this season, with 12 different players contributing goals. Freshman forward Taylor Olson leads the team in scoring with four goals while senior midfielder Anna Beffer currently leads Division I with eight assists on the season. Oklahoma State currently leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth in the nation with 25 goals so far this season.
Head coach Colin Carmichael is in his 13th season as head coach of the Cowgirls and his 22nd year overall in Stillwater. Oklahoma State has made nine trips to the NCAA Tournament under Carmichael, reaching the first round last season after finishing fifth in the Big 12. The Cowgirls' eight-game unbeaten streak is the program's longest since going 19-0-2 to begin the 2011 campaign.
NEXT UP
Cal kicks off Pac-12 play next weekend in Seattle, taking on Washington at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, September 23. The Golden Bears were picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' poll after going 6-3-2 in conference last season. Cal has won three of its last five meetings with Washington, including a 4-1 victory last year in Berkeley.
2017 TICKETS
Tickets are now available for sale for the 2017 Cal women's soccer season. Admission is $10 for adults,$5 for seniors, and $5 for youth. Cal students receive free admission and entry is free for ages 17 and below Monday through Thursday. For more information on tickets, call the Gold Standard Sales and Service line at (800) GO BEARS (462-3277) or visit the CalBears.com ticket page.
STAY POSTED
Keep up-to-date on the Golden Bears throughout the year by following the team on Twitter (@CalWSoc), Instagram (@CalWSoc), and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalWSoc).
