LOS ANGELES – The California men's soccer team ended its trip to Southern California on Sunday with another close game against a Pac-12 opponent. But, unlike Thursday, when the Golden Bears upset 17th-ranked and previously unbeaten San Diego State 1-0, this time the Golden Bears suffered a 2-1 loss to UCLA at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
 
The setback left Cal with a 4-3-3 overall record (1-2-1 Pac-12). UCLA improved to 4-2-2 (1-0-1).
 
"We got off to a slow start," Cal head coach Leonard Griffin said. "They were who we thought they were – a very technical and very talented team who would have a lot of the ball. We weathered the storm and got into halftime. In the second half, we showed more grit and energy, and we created enough to come out of here with a point. We're disappointed. But there's a lot to take away and learn from his game that we can use to push us in our upcoming matches."
 
Cal freshman goalkeeper Zack Andoh, making his second consecutive start, came up big in the first half, when he made seven of his nine saves and kept the score 0-0 at halftime.
 
UCLA scored in the 50th minute, when Jose Contell's cross found Ryan Becher in the box, and the Bruin slotted the ball into the net.
 
In the 81st minute, Cal earned a penalty kick when Rohan McEligot was pulled down in the UCLA box. Juan Martinez took the spot kick but fired the ball off the crossbar, and the score remained 1-0.
 
Tucker Lepley scored for UCLA on a counterattack in the 86th minute, and Cal trailed 2-0.
 
The Bears pulled one back less than a minute later. The kickoff after the second UCLA goal led to a Cal throw in deep in the attacking third. A long throw into the box found Wyatt Meyer, who played a short pass to Martinez. The senior midfielder took a short dribble before firing past goalkeeper Sam Joseph from point-blank range to make the score 2-1.
 
Neither team posted a shot the rest of the way.
 
Cal next plays Oct. 10, when the Bears host Portland in a nonconference match at Edwards Stadium.
 
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