California Golden Bears Athletics
California
Washington
Bears Start Pac-12 Play In Seattle
9/21/2017 7:47 PM | Women's Soccer
No. 13 Cal at Washington
Saturday, Sept. 23 | 7 PM PT | Husky Soccer Stadium | Seattle, WA
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK
SEATTLE– After another successful non-conference campaign, the Cal women's soccer team now turns its sights to Pac-12 play, visiting Washington at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday to start the conference slate.
This will be the 27th meeting all-time between the Golden Bears (7-1-0) and Huskies (7-2-0), with Washington holding 13-12-1 advantage in the series. However, Cal has won three of the last five meetings between the teams, including a 4-1 victory in Berkeley last season.
Both teams enter Saturday's match riding five-game winning streaks. Washington's unbeaten streak began on September 1 with a 1-0 victory over second-ranked Florida while Cal, ranked No. 13 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, collected its fifth consecutive win with a 3-0 victory over No. 14 Oklahoma State.
After winning both matches last weekend, the Golden Bears also swept the conference weekly awards. Freshman Emma Westin earned her first Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honor while senior defender Indigo Gibson earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week accolades for the first time this season, leading the Bears' backline to back-to-back shutouts. Senior goalkeeper Emily Boyd was named the conference Goalkeeper of the Week after becoming just the eighth player in Pac-12 history to record 30 career shutouts. Boyd currently ranks third in the conference with a 0.49 goals against average this season and has four shutouts on the year.
The Golden Bears have won their Pac-12 opener two of the last three seasons and were picked to finish fourth in the 2017 Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll. The Huskies, who finished 11th in the conference table in 2016, were picked seventh.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Saturday's match will be streamed live with in-game stats also available. Fans can also keep up with the action by following the Bears' Twitter (@CalWSoc) and Instagram (@CalWSoc) accounts.
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Bears closed out the non-conference campaign in impressive fashion, knocking off 14th-ranked Oklahoma State 3-0 on Sunday afternoon at Edwards Stadium. Cal's offense came alive, scoring a season-high three goals as Mia Corbin, Guro Bergsvand, and Heather Walleigh tallied their first goals of the 2017 season as the Golden Bears snapped Oklahoma State's nine-game winning streak.
In what head coach Neil McGuire called the Bears' "most measured performance of the season", Cal shut down the Cowgirls' high-powered offense, which entered the match averaging almost three goals per game on the season. Senior goalkeeper Emily Boyd notched her fourth shutout of the season to push her career total to 30, becoming just the eighth player in Pac-12 women's soccer history to reach the milestone. Boyd has four shutouts in her last five matches.
The Golden Bears outshot the Cowgirls 10-1 in the first 45 minutes and did not allow a shot on goal all game, remaining perfect at home on the season.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Washington enters Saturday's match on a five-game winning streak of its own and has not conceded a goal since a 2-1 overtime loss to SMU on August 27. The Huskies' win streak began with a 1-0 upset win over second-ranked Florida, beating the Gators behind a goal by Shannon Simon in the second minute of action. Washington has since rattled off wins against New Mexico, Boise State, Baylor, and Seattle, outscoring the opposition 8-0 during the streak.
Goalkeeper Sarah Shimer has played every minute for the Huskies this season and is tied for the Pac-12 lead with six shutouts on the season. A redshirt senior, Shimer is second in the conference with a .828 save percentage and enters Saturday's match on a shutout streak of 454 minutes. Offensively, Washington is led by seniors Simon and Kimberly Keever, who each have four goals and two assists on the season. A two-time Second Team All-Pac-12 Selection, Keever tallied the game winner in Washington's last outing, a 3-0 win over Seattle.
The Huskies are led by head coach Lesle Gallimore, now in her 24th season in Seattle. The longest-tenured coach in the Pac-12, Gallimore's roots trace back to Berkeley, where she was a four-time All-American for the Golden Bears. Following her playing career, Gallimore served as an assistant at Cal from 1986-89, helping the Bears to Final Four appearances in 1987 and 1988. Gallimore has an overall record of 248-195-43 during her tenure at Washington, just two wins away from 250 victories with the Huskies.
NEXT UP
The Bears will return to Berkeley next weekend for their Pac-12 home opener, hosting Arizona State at 4 p.m. on Thursday, September 28. Cal will close out the weekend on Sunday, October 1, hosting Arizona at 1 p.m. Cal is 5-0 at home this season and has just two losses at Edwards Stadium since the start of 2016.
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).
