BERKELEY - The Cal men's soccer team's 2021 fall season began with a return to as much normalcy as possible, as the squad took part in itS first practice of the new campaign on Tuesday morning at Golden Bear Field.
 
"It's been two years since we had a chance to have a season that's gone the traditional way we always had done it," Cal head coach Kevin Grimes said. "For all of us to be back in our familiar training facility and at a familiar time of year was obviously a great moment for all of us."
 
The Bears are returning to their home on Goldman Field at Edwards Stadium and will play in front of crowds again after the global pandemic created an unusual spring regular season. COVID-19 necessitated the postponement of the 2020 season to the spring, when the Bears played at Witter Rugby Field.
 
Having that familiar feel – along with a normal preseason and exhibition games – bodes well for the Bears this fall.
 
Along with preparing for the regular season – which starts on Aug. 26 at Saint Mary's – the Bears are getting ready for three exhibition games. They host Sacramento State on Friday at 1 p.m. and play at San Jose State on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Spartan Stadium.
 
Cal hosts one last exhibition – on Aug. 20 vs. San Francisco at 1 p.m. on Goldman Field – before playing the Gaels and then at UC Santa Barbara on Aug. 29. The Bears host their first regular-season home game on Sept. 3 vs. Dixie State.
 
"It just feels like we're back in the full groove of soccer, that we're getting back to a normal soccer life," Cal defender Ian Lonergan said. "Being back at school, being with our coaches and being able to use our locker rooms and everything else feels incredible. It feels more like a college soccer season again. All the boys are excited for that."

The Bears showed their enthusiasm in their first practice as well as in the mini-game to end the morning session, with the side in the yellow pinnies capturing the first win of the season.
 
Before Tuesday, players were able to practice on their own, without the coaching staff on hand, and could train with assistant athletic performance coach David Ziemba. They took advantage of that time, with the veterans organizing "captains' practices" to ensure that the Bears would be prepared to start the season.
 
"Once our captains' practices started, I've been up here pretty much the whole time, and a lot of the boys were up here and getting after it," said Lonergan, a product of Manhattan Beach in Southern California. "We decided we wanted to come into the season super strong and super fit, so a lot of the boys decided to give up a little bit of their summer and get back up here and start training with David Ziemba. We've been getting after that for the past few weeks, and it's been awesome. The boys are looking really strong, and we're going to get back into it flying."
 
This year's team includes a good mix of veterans – including fifth-year seniors Christopher Grey, a defender, Alonzo Del Mundo, and Lucas Churchill; seniors Lonergan and JJ Foe Nuphaus; juniors Jonathan Estrada, Jack Singer, Tate Dolan and Fahmi Ibrahim  – and youngsters, such as sophomores Collin Travasos, Evan Davila and Nate Carrasco. Santiago Hopkins, Kevin Carmichael and Shoei Honda – the Japan native is the only Bear who hails from outside the Golden State – highlight the freshmen class.
 
The steady Grey and Lonergan will marshal the backline in front of Travasos, who had a strong debut season in the spring, posting three shutouts and compiling a 1.58 goals-against average. Churchill and Davila – who netted two goals and one assist as a freshman – are among a talented selection of Bears in midfield. Honda joins a veteran attacking group led by Estrada, who led Cal with eight points (3 goals and 2 assists) last spring, and Del Mundo, who paced the Pac-12 in assists in 2019.
 
"Seeing that the fall season is so close to happening, we appreciate it even more than we ever have," Grimes said. "To be back in a normal routine and in a normal way of developing our team is a great thing for all of us."