BERKELEY – The Golden Bears are off to a strong start in America East action after trouncing the Tigers 4-1 to open conference play with a victory at Underhill Field Saturday afternoon. With Cal's win over Pacific, the Bears extended their win streak to three consecutive games, improving to 4-3 overall.
 
Melina Moore led the quartet of Bears who combined for Cal's four goals, adding an assist to her stat line for a team-high three-point day. Mara Gutierrez scored her first of the season, and Maddie Cleat and Katrina Carter contributed to the goal-scoring effort. Femke Delissen, who ranked 29th in the country in assists per game heading into the match, boosted her total with her fifth assist of the season, and Lindsay Mathison, Janaye Sakkas and Anna Smuda each added assists as well.
 
"The players are listening to what we're saying and taking it from the film room to the strategy session to the field," said head coach Shellie Onstead. "They're making adjustments on the fly."
 
Cal scored three of its four goals in the first half, starting with Carter's rocket in the seventh minute via Sakkas. Gutierrez and Cleat each scored goals off penalty corner plays, finding the cage within a three-minute span to send the Bears into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
 
Moore made it 4-0 for Cal in the 54th minute, using a deflected ball off Sakkas' shot to thrust the ball into the cage.
 
Pacific avoided the shutout with a goal from Emma Leach during a penalty corner in the 61st minute.
 
Danielle Mentink took the win, notching four saves in a complete-game performance, including a crucial save on a penalty stroke.
 
The Bears edged the Tigers in shots, 11-10, and for the first time all season were out-cornered, with Pacific earning eight penalty corners to Cal's four. Three of Cal's corners resulted in goals.
 
"We just have to keep continuing the momentum forward and not take it for granted. Everything about this game really worked and we got our connections down, so moving forward we can really build on that," Moore said.
 
HEAD COACH SHELLIE ONSTEAD'S TAKE
 
On overall performance:
"The players are listening to what we're saying and taking it from the film room to the strategy session to the field. They're making adjustments on the fly. I couldn't be more proud of how they handled this whole day."
 
CAL'S GOALS
6:13 – Katrina Carter (assisted by Janaye Sakkas)
Carter says: It was in the run of play. Janaye had a nice ball coming in and I was flat and wide open at the top of the circle, screaming at Janaye. She passed it to me and I took the shot to the opposite corner.
 
24:08 – Mara Gutierrez (assisted by Anna Smuda, Lindsay Mathison)
Gutierrez says: I shot the ball and it hit the right post. It just tipped off the goalie up into the cage.
 
26:44 – Maddie Cleat (assisted by Melina Moore, Femke Delissen)
Cleat says: (Melina Moore) and I locked eyes and then she did a really flat sweep to me. I wasn't even looking at the ball, but it went in.
 
53:30 – Melina Moore (unassisted)
Moore says: It was coming straight to me, so I just stood there and received it and hit it into the air
 
PACIFIC'S GOAL
60:52 – Emma Leach (assisted by Savannah Burns)
 
NEXT UP
The Bears are back on the road, spending next weekend taking on Fairfield and Quinnipiac on Saturday and Sunday.