ST. CHARLES, MO – Cal scored the game's final four goals but came up short in a 15-12 loss to Central Michigan in a neutral-site contest on Sunday at Hunter Stadium. Kennedy Mason led the Golden Bears with her first career hat trick while also picking up four draw controls. Maya Lawliss, Mya Wang and Amanda Morse each added a pair of goals, while Josie Lilliquist, Charlotte Smith and Courtney Wong each garnered their first career tallies. Kate Rothman picked up a pair of assists, while Wang had one.

Cal's other individual statistical leaders included Kennedy Goss with five draw controls and Wong with three ground balls, while Morse and Smith each caused a turnover. The Bears played two goalkeepers with Riley Drullinger allowing nine goals and picking up seven saves over the first 35:49 before Alicia Souliots played the final 24:11, allowing six goals with five saves.

Central Michigan had six players with multiple goals led by hat tricks from Kendall Hoyt and Maggie Diebold. Sadie Hinkle, Kelly Hoyt, Makenna Huhn and Audrey Whiteside picked up two goals each, while Sandy Edwards scored once. Kendall Hoyt added a pair of assists to finish with a game-high five points, while Huhn and Whiteside had one assist each as did Celia Dow and Reagan Marinsen.

Kelly Hoyt also registered a game-high nine draw controls for the Chippewas, while Hallie Moore caused a pair of turnovers and picked up two ground balls along with Diebold and Jozy Allen. Erin Owens played the entire game in goal, giving up all 12 of Cal's scores while saving 13 shots on goal.

Cal jumped out to a 3-1 lead just over eight minutes into the game with Mason (13:08), Smith (9:22) and Wang (6:38) scoring three straight goals after Kendall Hoyt had started the scoring with 13:44 remaining.

But CMU would rally with the next four goals (Whiteside, Huhn, Kelly Hoyt, Diebold) to take a 5-3 advantage Diebold's with 14:29 to go in the second. The Bears would cut the Central Michigan lead back to a single goal with each of their next four scores (Lawliss, Lillquist, Lawliss, Morse) but never tied the contest or went ahead again. After the Bears cut it to 8-7 on an unassisted Morse goal with 11:34 remaining in the third, the Chippewas would score the next five goals (Hinkle, Hinkle, Kelly Hoyt, Kendall Hoyt, Kendall Hoyt) to seize control of the contest and lead 13-7 with 14:00 minutes left in the game.

"While the score didn't end in our favor, we fought hard until the end," head coach Jennifer Wong said. "The last part of the game is a great example of what we are building and where we are going. We will get back to work and continue to improve."

Morse's second goal with 9:35 remaining was answered by Edwards and Diebold to give the Chippewas their biggest advantage of the game at 15-8 before two Mason goals in the final 4:33 sandwiched scores from Wong and Wang.
Cal (1-1, 0-0 Pac-12) will continue its stretch of four consecutive road games to start the season by visiting Bay Area rival No. 14 Stanford (0-1, 0-0 Pac-12) in the Pac-12 opener for both teams Wednesday on The Farm. The game will be televised live by Pac-12 Bay Area with first draw at 6 pm PT.