Cal vs Utah Valley
Friday, Aug. 17 | 4 PM PT | Edwards Stadium | Berkeley, Calif. 
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK

BERKELEY – It's soccer season once again in Berkeley! After wrapping up a productive preseason, the Cal women's soccer team is set to kick off the 2018 campaign on Friday, hosting Utah Valley University at 4 p.m. PT at Goldman Field at Edwards Stadium.

Friday's contest marks the first home event on the 2018-19 Cal Athletics calendar and is the first of 11 home games for the Golden Bears this season. Cal has excelled on its home pitch as of late, going unblemished at Edwards Stadium during the 2017 non-conference campaign and posting an overall record of 24-6-2 at home since the start of the 2015 season. The Bears opened the 2017 season with a pair of 2-1 victories at home, beating UC Irvine and Santa Clara, respectively, to start the year.
 
Now in his 12^th season leading the program, head coach Neil McGuire returns 22 players and five starters from last season's squad that went 13-6-1 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the 14^th consecutive season. The Golden Bears bring back both leading scorers in senior Miranda Nild and junior Abi Kim, who tallied seven goals apiece for the Bears. Offensively, the Bears also return midfielder Luca Deza, who led the team in assists and finished third in overall points last season as a freshman, along with six other players who found the back of the net last year.

Defensively, the Bears will be led by sophomore Emily Smith, who earned Third Team All-Region and All-Pac-12 recognition as a rookie and helped the Bears backline to 10 shutouts during the 2017 campaign.

While Friday afternoon's matchup will be the first meeting ever between the Golden Bears and Wolverines, there is plenty of familiarity between the two sides. Utah Valley head coach Chris Lemay is entering his second season in Orem, having spent the previous four seasons on McGuire's staff as the Bears' associate head coach. Lemay's first season at Utah Valley saw the Wolverines go 10-12-1 and win the WAC Championship, earning the program's second bid to the NCAA Tournament.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live stats for Friday's match against Utah Valley will be available on CalBears.com, with in-game updates also available on the Bears' Twitter (@CalWSoc) and Instagram (@CalWSoc) accounts. 

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Picked second in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, Utah Valley returns 12 letterwinners and eight starters from last season's team that won the conference title. Second-team All-WAC striker Breanna McCarter is the team's top returning scorer, tallying seven goals last season, while fellow forward Amber Tripp was named the 2017 WAC Freshman of the Year after scoring five goals to go with three assists.  

The Wolverines' defense will be headlined by First Team All-WAC selection Hannah Bruce, who started 17 matches last season and added five assists. Utah Valley also returns goalkeeper Brooklyn Nielsen, who started 18 games last season and was named to WAC All-Tournament Team.

Utah Valley is no stranger to Pac-12 opposition, facing both Washington State and Stanford last season. The Wolverines dropped a 3-2 decision to the Cougars in double-overtime on September 14, 2017, before falling to the Cardinal, 9-1, on the Farm in the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

NEXT UP
Following Friday's match vs the Wolverines, the Bears will head to the South Bay for their first road game of the season, taking on Santa Clara at 7:30 p.m. PT on Monday, August 20. One of the longest standing rivalries in women's soccer history, the Bay Area Derby dates back to the 1982 season with Cal holding a 21-18-7 advantage in the all-time series. The Golden Bears and Broncos split their two meetings last season, with each side picking up a 2-1 victory.

2018 TICKETS
Tickets are available for sale for the 2018 Cal women's soccer season. Admission is $10 for adults,$5 for seniors, and $5 for youth. Cal students and staff receive free admission with a valid ID and entry is free for ages 13 and below Monday through Thursday. For more information on tickets or group rates, 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).