SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- California field hockey game back from a two-goal deficit once, but couldn't do it a second time as the Golden Bears fell to No. 13 Syracuse, 4-2, Sunday afternoon at J.S. Coyne Stadium.

Down 2-0 in the second half, Cal rallied back to tie the game up but couldn't complete the comeback when Syracuse added another two goals late in the second half.

Melina Moore scored her third goal of the season and second of the weekend, and Megan Rodgers tallied three points on a goal and an assist. It was her third goal of the weekend, and her 10th of the season. Femke Delissen and Lindsay Mathison also notched assists.

Both Moore and Rodgers moved into Cal's all-time top 10 in yesterday's game against No. 8 Boston College, each scoring the 26th goals of their career to tie the record at 10th. With their goals today, the duo took sole possession of 10th with 27 career goals each. 

Cal outshot Syracuse 5-2 in the first half, but a Cuse penalty corner in the 34th minute paved the way for their 1-0 lead entering halftime. With a little more than a minute to the halfway point, Carolin Hoffman inserted the corner and sent it to Kira Wimbert, who stopped the ball for a Roos Weers score at 33:49.

The Bears saw shots by Rodgers, Moore, Maddie Cleat and Gabi Jimenez in the first half, with only Jimenez's on target and ultimately saved by Orange goalkeeper Bord van der Velde.

The Orange opened the second half in the same fashion they closed the first, scoring early with a shot by Chiara Gutsche at 37:42.

The Bears fought their way back with two consecutive goals, first by Moore in the 46th minute with the assist coming from Rodgers. Next, it was Rodgers' turn to get on the board after the Bears took advantage of a penalty corner in the 50th minute. With Mathison and Delissen aiding on the insert and stick stop, Rodgers launched a shot into the cage to tie the game, 2-2.

Unfortunately, the tie was short-lived after Syracuse drew a penalty corner and sent in another by Gutsche, making it their second corner score of the day.

Claire Cooke's goal in the 64th minute off a rebound during a penalty corner sealed the win for Syracuse.
 

NEXT UP

Cal returns to Berkeley for the first time in nearly a month to open America East home action with rival Stanford. The Bears host the Cardinal at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 12 at Underhill Field.