BERKELEY – The California field hockey team played its final home contest of the 2023 season and wasted little time lighting up the scoreboard. The Golden Bears defeated visiting UC Davis 7-0 on Saturday afternoon, with four seniors scoring a goal.
 
Cal (7-7) controlled this game from the start outshooting the Aggies 29-4. UC Davis (2-12) didn't even record its first shot until midway through the third quarter. Seniors Kitty Baccanello, Bente Baekers, Daniella Rhodes, and Cato Geusgens all scored with Baccanello, Baekers, and Rhodes scoring a brace.
 
"Today was Senior Day and sometimes we get a little too wrapped up in the celebration, so I was happy that they came out and played some good hockey," Donna Fong Director of Field Hockey Shellie Onstead said. "We did a good job of following what we laid out for our game plan. I didn't want to see a reduction in effort like what happened when we played Stanford back-to-back. So, I'm really happy with that. I challenged them and said 'The third quarter needs to be something we focus on' and that was the one quarter where they had all their shots.
 
Four minutes into the contest it was Rhodes who scored the game's opening goal. Scoring an unassisted goal after corralling her own missed shot for the first of her two goals on the day. 11 minutes later Geusgens scored her third goal of the year on the assist from Rhodes. Rhodes dribbled through the defense on the right side of the circle and sent a pass to Geusgens all alone on the left for a tap in goal.
 
All afternoon the Bears showed great patience on the attack. However, the half ended with lightning-quick strikes by Baekers in the 24th minute and Baccanello in the 26th minute.  At the half, owned a 12-0 advantage in shots. Aggie keeper Sara Lopez (2-12) took the loss, allowing four goals, and finished with four saves in 30 minutes of action.
 
Out of the intermission, both teams swapped goalies. Emma Giesting came in for UCD and allowed three goals but recorded nine saves. Audrey Post came in for Cal and tallied a career-best four saves – all four coming in a busy third quarter. Tina Jolly (7-7) got the win for Cal in an uneventful 30 minutes of action, she did not face a shot.
 
Baccanello scored her seventh goal of the season in the 39th minute on an assist from Merel Hanssen. Leading 5-0 after three quarters, Cal added two more goals, the first from Rhodes off the pass from Claire Hind in the 57th minute and the second from Baekers in the 59th minute off the feed from Kiki de Bruijne and Sophie Everett.
 
With the win on Saturday, Cal extended its winning streak to five games against the Aggies and 16 in a row at home against UCD. Cal also improves to 3-1 overall against its Northern California rivals.
 
The Bears said farewell to nine student-athletes in a pregame ceremony. Playing their final home contest were graduate transfers Maria Cambra Soler, Hanssen, Geusgens, Baccanello, Rhodes, and Baekers. As well as seniors de Bruijne, Hind, and Sabine Hommes.
 
Cal returns to action next week for the final week of America East play. Cal opens the weekend taking on New Hampshire on Friday at Memorial Field in Durham, NH at 11 a.m. PT. The Bears wrap up the regular season at Maine on Sunday, that game scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. PT.
 
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