HOWARD BISON (0-5, 0-0 NEC) AT CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS (1-4, 0-1 PAC-12)
THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023 • 4 PM PST
CALIFORNIA MEMORIAL STADIUM • BERKELEY, CA 
 

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BEARS PLAY HOWARD FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2002  
— Cal plays Howard for the first time since the Golden Bears and Bison met in a two-game home-and-home series on March 23, 2000 (Berkeley), and March 26, 2002 (Washington D.C.)
— The Bears were winners in both of those contests (15-4 in 2000; 16-10 decision in 2022)
— Cal is returning to action in the Howard game for the first time since Feb. 25 when the Bears dropped a 13-9 decision to Cornell in their home opener
— The 12 days between games is tied for the longest break in the schedule of the season for Cal, which will also go 12 days between contests later this month (March 19 at Colorado, March 31 vs. USC)
— The weather forecast for game time in Berkeley is calling for a 100% chance of rain with a temperature of 52 degrees and winds out of the southwest at 14 miles per hour  

CAL TO HOST SEVERAL GUESTS FOR HISTORIC HOWARD GAME
— Howard is one of only five active lacrosse teams from Historically Black Colleges And Universities (HBCU) with the others being women's teams from Delaware State and UDC, and men's squads from Hampton and UDC 
— Cal will host the Oakland Lacrosse Club, Richmond College Prep, KIPP Bridge Middle School and Summit K2 Middle School for the Howard game with activities including pre-game pizza, a college tour and a scavenger hunt; in-game recognition; and a post-game autograph session with both teams
— Lift Every Voice And Sing, often referred to as the "Black National Anthem," will be played before the game

LAST TIME OUT
— Cal dropped a 13-9 decision to Cornell in its home opener the last time they played on Feb. 25
— The Bears had nine different players score in the contest including Mya Wang, who added a career-high three assists to lead Cal with a game-high-tying four points
— Maya Lawliss and Avery Hoeft each had one goal and one assist, while Cal's other goal scorers were Josie Lillquist, Kennedy Mason, Quinnlyn Mason, Amanda Morse, Caroline Roxas and Courtney Wong, while Kate Rothman picked up an assist
— Cal dominated the fourth but was unable to make up a six-goal deficit at the end of three, scoring three of the four goals in the fourth while registering advantages in shots (11-3) and shots on goal (10-1)

FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH JENNIFER WONG
— Jennifer Wong picked up her first win at Cal in her Bear debut Feb. 10 at Lindenwood
— Wong is the fifth head coach in Cal history following Jill Malko (1999-2007), Theresa Sherry (2008-11), Ginger Miles (2012-14) and Brooke Eubanks (2015-22)
— Wong spent 14 seasons over two stints on the coaching staff at Temple (2008-09, 2011-22) including the last seven campaigns as the Owls' associate head coach (2016-22)

OTHER NOTABLES
— Cal players in the Pac-12's top five in individual statistics include Alicia Souliotis (40 saves, 3rd), Maya Lawliss (4-free position goals, T3rd; 12 goals, T4th; 14 points, T5th), Kennedy Goss (22 draw controls, 4th), Amanda Morse (19 SOG, T4th), Kate Rothman (6 assists, T5th) and Mya Wang (6 assists, T5th)
— Souliotis is also second in the Pac-12 with a 48.8 save percentage
— Cal has five players that have been on goal with all of their shots this season including Josie Lillquist, whose nine shots and shots on goal are the most by any Pac-12 player with a 100% shots on goal percentage; the other Cal players include Elle Anhut (2), Hanna Deringer (2), Goss (1) and Avery Hoeft (1)
— Lawliss became the first Cal player to ever be named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week when the league's first weekly honors of the 2023 season were announced on Feb. 14
— Goss has moved up three spots since the beginning of the season into fourth on Cal's all-time list with 141 draw controls and is within 37 of the school's all-time record (178, LizaBanks Campagna, 2018-21)  
— Cal is celebrating the 25th season of women's lacrosse in 2023 with the program first gaining intercollegiate status in 1999 as a member of the Western Women's Lacrosse League
— Cal has had 10 players make their Bear debuts in 2023 in Anhut, Annette Ciupek, Hoeft, Lillquist, Clara Page, Amanda Pio, Chloe Rand, Charlotte Smith, Wang and Courtney Wong, with all but Smith (a transfer from James Madison) playing for their first time collegiately