BERKELEY- The inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference season for the California women's soccer team begins this week as the Golden Bears head to North Carolina to take on NC State and No. 13 Wake Forest.
 
Cal (7-1-1) takes a six-match win streak and seven-match unbeaten streak over to the East Coast and has already matched its win total from last season. This will be the Bears' first contest with the Wolfpack since 1998 and their first with Wake Forest since 2003.
 
Match Information
 
NC State (3-4-1, 0-0-0)

• Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 19, 4 p.m. PT
• Location: Raleigh, NC – Dail Soccer Field/Track Complex
• Live Stream: ACCN
• Live Stats: Statbroadcast

 
No. 13 Wake Forest (6-2-1, 1-1-0 ACC)

• Date and Time: Sunday, Sept. 22, 9 a.m. PT
• Location: Winston-Salem, NC – Spry Stadium
• Live Stream: ACCNX
• Live Stats: Statbroadcast

 
The Lema Legend
Senior forward Karlie Lema leads the nation with 11 goals and 26 points. She also paces the country in shots on goal per game (3.22) and ranks third in goals per game (1.22) and fourth in points per game (2.78). So far this season Lema has a hat trick, three braces, two equalizers and two game winners. On Sep. 8 she broke into the program's top-10 scoring list and now sits in eighth place with 26 career goals. It took her all of six matches to tie her season-high goal total of six set during her freshman season, and two matches later she had nearly doubled that total.
 
Wy Reaches U20 FIFA World Cup Semis
Cal keeper Teagan Wy and the U20 US Youth National Team reached the FIFA Women's World Cup semifinals after defeating her teammate Miriam Hils and Germany in penalty kicks on Sunday. The Germans held a 2-0 lead after scoring in the second minute of stoppage time, but in miraculous fashion the Americans scored goals in the eighth and ninth minutes of stoppage time to force overtime. After allowing the first German penalty kick to find the net, Wy saw two shots land off frame before coming up with an incredible walk-off save on the fourth attempt to push the US through to the next round. Wy finished with six saves, and the United States will now face Korea DPR for a spot in the championship tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. PT.
 
Give It A Chance
Cal has one of the top offenses in the country ranking 15th with 24 total goals, a mark that is also good for third in the ACC. Much of this offensive success can be attributed to the fact that the Bears put over half of their attempts on frame, ranking second in the conference with a .504 shot on goal percentage. On the individual side, Lema leads the conference in that category, giving .659 of her shots a scoring chance and leads the nation with 3.22 SOG per game. The Bears have six multi-goal performances this year, all wins, and have not been shut out.
 
Lema Named National, Conference Player Of The Week
After an incredible five-goal, one assist week, Lema took home NCAA National Player of the Week, Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Week and ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sep. 11. The senior forward earned her first hat trick in the Bears' 4-1 win over Nevada and added two goals and an assist in Cal's 3-0 shutout of San Diego. She ended the week with a .385 shot percentage and a .769 shots on goal percentage. This was the first national recognition for Lema, who also became the first Bear to take home an ACC weekly honor.
 
Defending Edwards
The Bears head into conference play an undefeated 6-0-1 at Edwards Stadium and have won five straight home contests. Cal's goal differential at Goldman Field stands at 17-8 and both of the team's shutouts occurred there as well.
 
Second-Half Surge
Over its first nine matches Cal did the bulk of its scoring in the second half with 19 of its 24 goals coming in the final 45 minutes. The Bears currently hold a 19-5 second-half goal differential and have yet to be shut out in the period. Nine goals were scored in 75th minute or later.
 
End Of An Era
One of the game's greatest players and one of Cal's most successful alumni, Alex Morgan, played her final professional match on SepT. 8. Morgan has had an immense influence on the sport and has helped grow the game for over 15 years. She retires as one of the greatest scorers in US Women's National Team history ranking fifth with 123 goals on the international stage. Her trophy case includes two FIFA World Cup titles, an Olympic gold and bronze medal, a WPS Championship and an NWSL Championship. In her four seasons as a Golden Bear, she tallied 45 goals, which is good for third on the all-time scoring list. She was named a Soccer America MVP in 2010 and took home United Soccer Coaches All-America honors that year as well. In 2011 she was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the WPS draft, marking the first top draft prospect for the Bears.
 
Klos Called Game
Junior transfer Alex Klos has had a major influence on the Bears' early season success, scoring the game-winning goal in three straight matches. She currently shares the ACC lead in that category and is tied for the sixth most in the nation. She was the lone goal scorer in Cal's 1-0 win over Cal State Fullerton, curling a ball off her left foot from outside the 18-yard box in the 80th minute.
 
McManus Saves 7 In Bear Debut
UCLA graduate transfer Kelly McManus made her first career collegiate start between the posts Aug. 25 and did not disappoint. The former national champion made a career-high seven saves in the 1-1 tie with Gonzaga, including a number of game-saving plays in the final 20 minutes. McManus earned her first win the very next match as the Bears topped San Francisco 6-1. McManus currently ranks second in the ACC with 4.00 saves per game.
 
2 Bears Named To U20 FIFA Women's World Cup Rosters
Teagan Wy (USA) and Miriam Hils (Germany) were named to U20 FIFA Women's World Cup rosters.
 
The latest step in Wy's international career comes after a successful national team camp back in February when the U.S. picked up a pair of 1-0 wins over Colombia. The Golden Bear keeper went wire-to-wire in the second match and picked up a shutout win with three saves.
 
Wy helped the United States qualify for this year's World Cup as a member of the 2023 CONCACAF Women's U20 Championship team that took second place in April 2023. This will be her second World Cup experience as she served as a backup on the U20 team from 2022.
 
Hils, who is originally from Delbrück, Germany, is coming off an impactful freshman season with the Bears in which she started in 16 matches as a defender. This will be her second trip to the U20 FIFA Women's World Cup after starting and going the distance in all three of Germany's matches in 2022.
 
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