BERKELEY -  After a dramatic Pac-12 opener last Friday night in Westwood, the Cal women's soccer team looks to continue it's strong start to the conference schedule when Pac-12 play comes to Berkeley this weekend. The Golden Bears (9-1-0, 1-0-0 Pac-12) host Washington (5-2-2, 1-0-0 Pac-12) on Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. before a Sunday showdown at 12 p.m. PT against Washington State (8-1-0, 1-0-0 Pac-12). Both matches this weekend will be televised on Pac-12 Networks and are doubleheaders with the Cal men's soccer team, who take on Oregon State (Thursday at 12 p.m. PT) and Washington (Sunday at 3 p.m. PT).

Ranked No. 20 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, Cal opened Pac-12 play with an impressive road win over then-No. 7 UCLA last Friday night. The Golden Bears topped the Bruins, 2-1, to earn Cal's first win of the season over a ranked opponent and picked up the program's first win in Westwood in over a decade. Cal never trailed in the match, as junior Luca Deza opened the scoring in the sixth minute with her fourth goal of the year. After UCLA tied the match with a penalty kick in the 11^th minute, the Bears' defense proved up to the billing, as they turned away a barrage of shots and corner kicks from the Bruins. In the end, the Golden Bears came away with the win, as redshirt sophomore Kailee Gifford buried a cross from Abi Kim in the 88^th minute for the game winner.

The Bears look to carry the momentum from Friday's upset back to Berkeley, taking on the Washington schools, who both opened conference play in the win column as well. Cal is 5-1-0 at home this season, but lost its final match at Edwards Stadium, 2-0, to Portland in the non-conference finale. The loss to the Pilots marked the first and only time this season the Bears have been shutout, as Cal has benefited from a well-balanced attack this season.

Eight different players have scored for Cal on the year, led by seven goals from junior forward/midfielder Emma Westin. Deza, a Pac-12 All-Freshman selection in 2017, is second on the team in both scoring (4 goals) and points (10 points) and has registered at least one point in three of her last five outings. Kim and fellow Washington-native Mia Corbin are tied for the team lead with four assists each on the year.

On the other end of the pitch, the Bears boast one of the top defenses in both the conference and the nation. Cal leads the Pac-12 and ranks 11^th nationally with a 0.40 goals against average this season, and has allowed only two goals in the run of play. Junior defender Emily Smith, who collected All-Conference and All-Region honors as a rookie in 2017, is in the midst of a stellar year and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season. Smith is the first player in conference history to collect Defensive Player of the Week honors three times within the same year, and has also shown her offensive talents, with a goal and two assists on the season.

Tasked with solving Cal's backline on Thursday will be Washington head coach and Cal alum Lesle Gallimore, who returns for her final match in Berkeley. The longest-tenured coach in the Pac-12, Gallimore is in her 26^th season as head coach of the Huskies and will be retire at the conclusion of the 2019 season. Inducted into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, Gallimore was a four-time All-American as a student-athlete at Cal and was named to the Pac-12 All-Century team. Upon graduating in 1986, Gallimore spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the Bears, helping Cal to College Cup appearances in 1987 and 1988. After four seasons as head coach at San Diego State, Gallimore took over the Washington job in 1994 and has amassed over 250 career wins.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Both matches this weekend will be carried live on Pac-12 Networks. Troy Clardy and Christopher Sullivan will be on the call for Thursday's game against Washington while Kate Scott and Danielle Slaton will cover Sunday's showdown with the Cougars. A live stream and live stats will be available for both matches, with in-game updates also provided on the Bears' Twitter (@CalWSoc) and Instagram (@CalWSoc) accounts. 

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Washington heads to the Bay Area on a three-game winning streak, highlighted by a 2-1 home win over Oregon to open Pac-12 play. Vanessa Millsaps and Kennedy Smith scored for the Huskies – both off assists by Summer Yates – before the Ducks pulled one back in the 54^th minute. Oregon held an 8-7 advantage in shots on the night, but Washington goalkeeper Siena Ruelas came up with a pair of saves to earn the victory.

Yates, a sophomore striker, leads Washington in both scoring (5 goals) and assists (4 assists) this season, and has powered Washington's win streak with nine points in her last three outings. Smith, a senior from Irvine, California, has three goals on the season, the only other Washington player with multiple goals so far this year.

Gallimore and the Huskies opened the season with a pair of 0-0 double-overtime draws against Portland and Seattle U. The Huskies nearly pulled off the upset over then-No. 2 North Carolina on August 29, but fell 3-2 to the Tar Heels in a thrilling end-to-end match. Since the loss to UNC, Washington has won five of its last six games, with the lone blemish coming in a 2-0 loss at Texas.
 
Thursday's meeting will be the 29^th meeting all-time between Cal and Washington, with the Huskies holding a slim 14-13-1 advantage in the overall series. Washington won last season's meeting in Seattle, 4-1, snapping a two-game Cal winning streak in the head-to-head series. This will be the first matchup between the schools in Berkeley since 2016, which resulted in a 4-1 victory for the Golden Bears. Washington's last win in Berkeley came in 2014, prevailing 2-1.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Washington State also opened conference play in victorious fashion, beating Oregon State, 2-1, at home.  After the Beavers took a 1-0 lead into the locker room, the second half was all Cougars, and the hosts scored twice in a six-minute span to come away with the win. Senior striker Morgan Weaver drew a penalty in the 68^th minute, which graduate student and former Stanford Cardinal Averie Collins converted to tie the match at 1-1. In the 72^nd minute, it was once again Weaver playing provider, assisting the game-winning goal by junior Makamae Gomera-Stevens. The win was the fourth in a row for the Cougars, whose lone loss of the season came in a 2-1 defeat to Michigan on September 13.

One of the most potent offenses in the conference, the Cougars are averaging 2.8 goals per game on the year, led by five goals apiece from Weaver and Collins. Graduate student Ella Dederick, who missed the majority of the 2018 season due to injury, has seen the bulk of minutes in goal and has three shutouts on the season.

Head coach Todd Shulenberger is in his fifth season as head coach of the Cougars and guided Washington State to the Second Round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Shulenberger returns eight starters from last season and his Cougars were picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll.

Prior to Sunday's matchup in Berkeley, the Cougars will square off against No. 2 Stanford on Thursday night in Palo Alto.

Cal leads the overall series between the schools, 16-10-3, though Washington State won last season's meeting in Pullman, 4-2. Paige Metayer and Abi Kim scored for the Bears in the loss, which snapped a streak of three consecutive wins by the Bears in the series. Washington State's last win in Berkeley came in 2014, a 1-0 victory. Cal won the most recent meeting between the teams in the Bay, a 2-0 win in 2017 behind goals from Miranda Nild and Kayla Fong.

NEXT UP
Following this weekend's games, the Bears will head to the Pacific Northwest, taking on Oregon (Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. PT) and Oregon State (Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. PT). The Bears bested the Ducks last season in Eugene with a 2-1 come-from-behind win after falling to the Beavers, 2-1, in Corvallis. Cal is a perfect 4-0-0 on the road this season, though next week marks the Bears' first trip out of the state of California. The Golden Bears' current four-game road winning streak is the program's longest since the 2017 season.
 

2019 TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Tickets are now on sale for the 2019 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. New this season to Edwards Stadium, fans can purchase group tickets ahead of time on CalBears.com which will be available for will call pickup for a $3 charge. For more information, 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).