BERKELEY– The California women's soccer team earned its fifth straight win Sunday afternoon topping San Diego 3-0 behind another multi-goal performance from the nation's leading scorer,
Karlie Lema.
Cal's second shutout of the season not only saw the Bears (6-1-1) hold the Toreros (0-4-3) scoreless, but also shotless, while taking 21 shots of their own. Nine of those shots landed on frame.
For the third straight game and the fourth time this season, Lema scored multiple goals. Her third brace of the year comes just three days after the senior recorded her first career hat trick. She added an assist this afternoon as well, giving her a total of five points. She remains the top goal scorer (11) and point scorer (24) in the country, and now ranks eighth on Cal's all-time scoring list with 26 career goals.
The Bears were not short of opportunities in the first period taking 14 shots with four on goal, but Torero goalkeeper Ilise Medrano made a handful of highlight saves to preserve the clean sheet.
The drought ended in the 54
th minute when Lema received a ball in the attacking third and turned on the jets to get inside the penalty area. Lema sent a tight pass across the goal where only fellow senior
Alexis Wright could find it and send in her third goal of the season. Wright is now tied for second on the team in scoring and Lema's second assist of the year ties her with five others for the lead in that category.
Lema's 10
th goal of the season came in the 70th minute as the Morgan Hill, CA native swooped into the 18-yard box and deposited a ball that the Torero defense couldn't clear. In the 81st minute, senior
Noelle Bond-Flasza played a ball up the left touchline to fifth year
Skylar Briggs. After taking some real estate, Briggs played a ball into Lema that just evaded the boot of a San Diego defender and Lema finished the job rolling a left-footed shot past Medrano into the bottom right corner.
The non-conference slate comes to an end for the Bears on Thursday when they welcome Saint Mary's to Edwards Stadium. Kick off is set for 4 p.m. on ACCNX.
