BERKELEY -  Coming off a pair of double-overtime draws on the road, the Cal women's soccer team returns to home soil this weekend, hosting No. 4 USC at 4 p.m. PT on Friday at Edwards Stadium. The Golden Bears (9-3-2, 1-2-2 Pac-12) enter the matchup with the top defensive unit in the conference while the Women of Troy (11-1-1, 4-1-0 Pac-12) come to Berkeley on a four-game winning streak.

Having already knocked off No. 7 UCLA on the road this season, Cal looks to return to the win column and pick up its first home win of the 2019 Pac-12 campaign. The Bears opened conference play with a 2-1 win over the Bruins in Westwood – their first win of the season over a Top-10 opponent – before dropping a pair of 1-0 results at home to the Washington schools. The Bears responded with a pair of points on the road last weekend at Oregon and Oregon State, remaining unbeaten on the road this season.

Cal's success away from home has been buoyed by one of the top defenses in the nation. The Golden Bears lead the conference and ranks 12^th nationally with a 0.484 goals against average this season. Cal recorded its eighth clean sheet of the season in Sunday's draw at Oregon State, led by five saves from freshman goalkeeper Angelina Anderson. Anderson, who was named the Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week for the second time this season, leads the conference with a .500 goals against average and .837 save percentage (minimum 10 goals played) and was recently rated at No. 4 in TopDrawerSoccer's Top 100 Freshmen rankings. Teammate Emily Smith, a three-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honoree herself, was ranked No. 91 in TopDrawerSoccer's Midseason Top 100 while senior striker Abi Kim came in at No. 75.

The series between the Golden Bears and the Women of Troy has been tightly contested as of late, with the last four head-to-head meetings being decided by a 1-0 scoreline. USC has won the last two meetings between the schools, including a 1-0 overtime win last season in Berkeley. Cal's last win over USC came on the road in 2016, when the Bears knocked off the 7^th-ranked Women of Troy, 1-0. Kim scored the game-winner for the Bears in the 86^th minute off an assist from classmate Mia Corbin.

Yet despite the rivalry between the California schools, on Friday, they will be uniting for a common cause – showing support and raising awareness for former Cal football player Eric Stevens, who was recently diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) at the age of 29. Stevens, who now serves as a Los Angeles City firefighter, is married to former Cal women's soccer player Amanda Glass. Visit the Team Stevens Nation page for more information and ways to support.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Friday's game will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks with Kevin Danna on the call. A live stream and live stats will be available, with in-game updates also provided on the Bears' Twitter (@CalWSoc) and Instagram (@CalWSoc) accounts. 

SCOUTING THE WOMEN OF TROY
USC heads to Berkeley on a four-game winning streak, unbeaten since dropping their conference opener to Stanford, 3-2. USC's only other blemish this season came in the form of a 2-2 double-overtime draw at Baylor on September 20.

The most recent outing saw USC pick up a pair of 2-1 wins over the mountain schools. The Women of Troy opened the weekend with a 2-1 overtime win against Utah,  with goals by junior Tara McKeown in the 75^th and 100^th minutes. McKeown added an assist and scored the game-winner again on Sunday, as USC topped Colorado, 2-1. For her efforts this weekend, McKeown was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and the TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Week.

McKeown is second in the conference in scoring this season with 12 goals on the year while teammate Penelope Hocking is close behind with nine goals. USC is averaging 2.31 goals per game on the season, good for second in the conference. Defensively, USC has allowed just 13 goals this season and goalkeeper Anna Smith has a .768 save percentage on the year.

Head coach Keidane McAlpine is in sixth season at USC, and returns 19 players from last season's squad that reached the Sweet 16. USC was picked to finish third in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
Friday's meeting will be the 25^th meeting all-time between the schools, with USC leading the series 13-9-2. Cal's last win over USC came on the road in 2016, after a late game winner by then-freshman Abi Kim. The Bears' last win over USC in Berkeley came in 2011, a 2-0 victory for the host side.
 
NEXT UP
The Bears will return to the road next weekend, heading to the Rockies for games at Utah (Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. PT) and Colorado (Sunday, Oct. 27 at 12 p.m. PT). With a 4-0-2 record, Cal is unbeaten on the road this season and one of nine teams left in Division I women's soccer that are unbeaten on the road this season. The Bears fell to Utah, 2-1, last season in Berkeley and dropped a 3-0 decision to the visiting Buffs.

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).