SUNDAY, SEPT. 29
CAL (5-1) AT UC DAVIS (2-5) | 1 P.M. PT | AGGIE FIELD HOCKEY FACILITY | DAVIS, CALIF.
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE | LIVE STATS: CLICK HERE

The California field hockey team will end its three-game road slate in an in-state rematch against UC Davis at Aggie Field Hockey Facility in Davis. Coverage will be available on ESPN+ and live stats starting Sunday at 1 p.m. PT.

The Golden Bears (5-1) will face off against the Aggies (2-5) for a second time this season after pulling out the 2-0 victory on Sept. 15. Cal is off to one of its best starts in recent memory and will look to continue its momentum on Sunday. 

As a team, the Bears rank second in the nation in defensive saves (6) and sixth in assists per game (3.17).
 
FRESHMAN SENSATION
Freshman Liz Klompmaker's stellar start to the season places her in elite company. Klompmaker currently ranks tied for third in the nation in goals per game (1.50) and fifth in points per game (3.17). She leads the ACC in total goals (9), is second in game-winning goals (3), shots per game (5.67) and total points (19), while being sixth in shots on goal (2.67).
 
GOING FOR 300
Donna Fong Director of Field Hockey Shellie Onstead sits only two wins away from a career milestone of 300 total victories. With a win against UC Davis on Sunday, Onstead could accomplish this feat as soon as Oct. 4 against No. 9 Duke.  
 
ABOUT THE AGGIES
UC Davis is heading into Sunday's matchup on a four-game losing streak with an overall record of 2-5. Both of the Aggies' wins have come on their home turf. This will be the 35th meeting between the teams as Cal holds the advantage, 27-7-1, and has won seven in a row.

LAST TIME OUT
Cal notched its first road win against James Madison to move to 5-1 on the season. Sophomore Holly Pears recorded her third goal of the season late in the opening period to get things going for the Bears. The Bears added two more in the fourth period, both by Freshman Liz Klompmaker to seal the game. Cal locked in on the defensive end and only allowed two shots on goal from the Aggies throughout the game. The Bears recorded their second shutout victory of the season.

2023 RECAP
The Bears made sure their final year in the America East Conference was a memorable one, winning the AE Tournament title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years. Cal gave an indication of what type of season it might be early on when it knocked off No. 5 Penn State in the fourth game of the year.
 
The Bears finished in fourth place in the America East standings and then had a thrilling run to the AE Tournament title, winning all three of their games by one goal - including the final two in overtime. They knocked off top-seeded UMass-Lowell in the semifinals before ousting No. 2 Albany for the championship.
 
After the season, graduate student Daniella Rhodes was named to the NFHCA All-West Region First Team while fellow grad transfer Bente Baekers and senior Kiki de Bruijne garnered second-team accolades. It marked just the third time in program history the Bears have had three players earn all-region honors in the same season.
 
WELCOME TO THE ACC
The University of California, Berkeley, announced last Sept. 1 that its athletic department was joining the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. With that, the Bears joined arguably the top field hockey conference in the country. North Carolina has won five of the past six NCAA championships, and seven ACC teams are ranked in the NFHCA preseason poll. Cal played its first ACC game ever when it visited No. 3 Virginia on Sept. 20.
 
THE NEWCOMERS
The Bears welcome 10 new players to this year's roster, including two international graduate transfers who are making their NCAA debuts. Noemie Mekki (Paris) and Canisha van Duyn (Emmen, Netherlands) are playing their first collegiate seasons after accomplished club and international careers. Mekki was the captain of France's U21 national team last summer.  Another graduate transfer from The Netherlands - Carmel van Dijk - spent her undergraduate career at Fairfield and was an All-NEC Second-Team selection last season.
 
RETURNING EXPERIENCE
Despite the loss of several key players from last year's America East championship team, the Bears still have a hefty dose of experience with seniors Sophie Everett and Sydney Decher, junior goalkeeper Tina Jolly and sophomores Holly Pears and Anjana Pioch. Pears is Cal's returning leading point-scorer with five goals and two assists last season while Pioch had the most starts of any returning field player with 16 last year. Jolly started every game in goal for the Bears last year while Everett and Dechar combined for 21 starts.
 
30 FOR ONSTEAD
Shellie Onstead enters her 30th season as the Donna Fong Director of Field Hockey. Onstead has a career record of 298-232 and has guided the Bears to 12 conference championships. She is a six-time NorPac Coach of the Year and has led Cal to six NCAA Tournament appearances. Onstead served as an assistant coach for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and was inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982. Onstead played at Cal from 1980-82 and was the program's first All-America player.