Season Starts Saturday At Storer Classic

Saturday, January 19

Los Angeles, CA

9:50 AM

California

Storer Classic vs. UC Santa Cruz

Senior Troy Lockyear and the Bears are ready to begin their 2019 campaign at the Storer Classic.

1/17/2019 3:37 PM | Rugby

Bears Break Training Camp To Begin 15s At UCLA

By: Cal Athletics

BERKELEY – Having concluded preseason camp in preparation for their 15-a-side schedule, the Golden Bears depart campus for UCLA's Dennis Storer Classic with a full bus and plans for playing time across California's roster over three matches on Saturday and Sunday.

Action begins for the Bears at 9:50 a.m. Saturday against UC Santa Cruz with an abbreviated, tournament-style format of 20-minute halves in the weekend event at Wallis Annenberg Stadium, hosted by the Bruins on their Westwood campus in honor of the former UCLA and U.S. National Team head coach. Cal continues its Saturday against Claremont Colleges at 1:10 p.m. and concludes Sunday against UCLA at 1:30 p.m. Tickets each day are $15 for adults, $5 for youth 18-under and free for kids 12 and under.

The Blue and Gold take the pitch Saturday for the first time in 2019 looking to make a positive start coming out of their two-week training camp, where the wet and blustery weather that dominated the last two weeks should stand in sharp contrast to the mild and dry conditions forecasted for the weekend in Los Angeles.

Cal figures to send its top side against UCLA on Sunday, allowing the balance of the roster opportunities against UCSC and Claremont in Saturday's matches.

"The plan is for the whole of the travel squad to get time on the field," said head coach Jack Clark.

Among the forwards, the Bears have lost two All-Americans in No. 8 Thomas Robles and loosehead prop Kevin Sullivan following their graduation in 2018. Senior Jack Iscaro has emerged as a leader of the front row after a solid junior year and good offseason, and he could be paired up front with returning two-year starter Damon Wiley, a junior. Some of the other forwards who have made good early impressions include juniors Owen Duvall, senior Brian Joyce and sophomore Jack Manzo.

Junior George Salter and senior Ben Casey are among the top returning locks with incumbent starter Sebastian Bader, a junior, out with injury to start the season. Sophomore Sam Golla and freshman Max Murphy are also off to a strong start in the second row.

The back row begins with two returning starters in junior Thomas Spradling at No. 6 and senior captain Nic Mirhashem at No. 7, while an injury late in training camp to senior No. 8 Cormac Heaney has opened up an opportunity for several players to compete for minutes in the back row. Junior Sid Holland and freshmen Luke Freeman and Jason Severance are among those who have shined so far in that position group.

Having lost All-American Justin Dunn and starter Aidan Flynn to graduation, the Bears' options in the backline include seniors Troy Lockyear, who moved from flyhalf to fullback, and wing Zachary Tavenner; juniors Sam Cusano, a wing, center Christian Dyer and scrumhalf Keanu Andrade; and sophomore center Seth Purdey. Senior flyhalf Elliot Webb has also shown good form in camp. Additional backs of note at this early stage of the season include junior scrumhalf Ken Kurihara, freshmen scrumhalf Henry Poon and flyhalf Sam Walsh, sophomore midfielders Kevin Saunders and Adam Roeske, and sophomore winger Marcus Shankland.

"Every season there seem to be players who push their names into the starting competition conversation through persistence and quality performances," coach Clark said. "I am hoping we have competition within our depth chart."

Cal's spring 15s schedule continues following the Jan. 19-20 Storer Classic with the Bears' home opener Jan. 26 vs. UC Davis, the first of eight home dates this spring on Witter Rugby Field. The home schedule continues with Parents Weekend against San Diego State on Feb. 2. A midweek night road match at Cal Maritime on Feb. 6 precedes Cal's PAC Rugby Conference opener against Arizona State back home on Feb. 9.

The Bears host Cal Poly on Feb. 16 before British Columbia comes to town for the first half of the time-tested, two-match series against the Thunderbirds Feb. 23 on Witter Rugby Field. Then, following a Friday night match at Santa Clara on March 15, Cal welcomes back generations of national champions and other great teams as the Bears host Utah for Homecoming on March 16, preceded by a curtain raiser with Cal vs. Humboldt State.

The Bears' PAC Rugby Conference schedule concludes March 23, when Cal hosts Arizona, before the Gaels from Saint Mary's College visit Strawberry Canyon for the final match of the regular season on March 30.

The Blue and Gold will strive to qualify for the national collegiate postseason as they face each challenge. Advance tickets to all home games are available for purchase at CalBears.com as the oldest intercollegiate sport at Cal get set once again to represent the University of California.