SANTA CLARA, Calif. - A fantastic 2019 campaign came to an end for the Cal women's soccer team on Saturday, as the Golden Bears fell to Santa Clara in overtime, 1-0, in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. Scoreless through 90 minutes of regulation, Bronco striker Julie Doyle scored the game's only goal in the 91st  minute, sending No. 20 Santa Clara (14-5-2, 7-0-2 WCC) through to the Second Round. The Bears (13-5-3, 5-3-3 Pac-12) saw their season com to a close with 13 wins on the year, tied for the program's most in a single season in the last five years.

"Today was a great battle between two very high-level teams," said Cal head coach Neil McGuire. "We must first congratulate Santa Clara on advancing. It is never easy ending a season in this manner, but we are so proud of the players for their commitment to each other and to the team. They should take great pride in their body of work and all they accomplished this season."

Back in the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time in the last 16 seasons, the tightly contested match between the Bay Area rivals saw Cal get off on the front foot, as the Bears generated a pair of promising chances in the first 20 minutes. Senior striker Abi Kim got on the end of a service by junior defender Kai Henderson in the 17th minute, but her header was saved by Santa Clara goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse. Less than three minutes later, Bears' midfielder Luca Deza got off a strike that seemed destined for the back of the net, but Whitehouse again was there to make the stop.

Whitehouse made two saves on the afternoon for the Broncos while Cal's Angelina Anderson finished the day with seven saves, the most by any Cal goalkeeper in an NCAA Tournament game in the last 10 seasons. With her seven saves against the Broncos, Anderson - the 2019 Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year and 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year - closes out the season with 86 total saves, the second-most in a single-season in Cal' women's soccer history.

One of Anderson's most impressive saves on the day came in the 29th minute, when she turned away a well-struck ball towards the upper 90 from Broncos striker Kelsey Turnbow.

While the teams got off four shots apiece in the first half, the Broncos got out on the attack in the second 45 minutes, outshooting the Bears 12-1 in the second half and holding a 9-1 advantage on corner kicks. The Bears were able to hold the Broncos at Bay however, with timely team defending. Henderson cleared a header off the goal line in the 50th minute. Cal nearly got in the board in the 80th minute, after a free kick by Emily Smith pulled Whitehouse off her line. The service was not handled cleanly but the Bears were unable to pounce on the rebound before it was corralled. The Bears staid on the attack and had promising builds in the final five minutes, but just lacked the final pass. 

Seconds into the first overtime period, Doyle put the game away, finishing with a well-struck ball to the upper 90 from the right side of the area.

Saturday's matched marked the Bears' 26th trip to the NCAA  Tournament - tied for fifth all-time in women's Division I soccer history - and their 12th in 13 seasons under McGuire. This was the seventh time the Bears and Broncos have met in the NCAA Tournament and the second such meeting in the last three seasons.

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