California Golden Bears Athletics
Cal Tops UCSD In Season Opener 3-2
8/14/2025 10:38 PM | Women's Soccer
Dimry’s Second-Half PK Lifts Bears Over Tritons
The high-scoring affair featured a total of 28 shots with Cal winning the battle 17-11. Nine of the Bear's attempts landed on frame, which is a mark they only hit four times all of last season.
UCSD got on the board first with a goal from Ava Tibor in just the 4th minute, but Cal was just as quick to respond with an equalizer two minutes later in the 6th. After missing the entirety of last season, senior Coco Thistle found the back of the net in her first match in 665 days. Freshman Elhom Khursand played a perfect ball into the 18-yard box where Thistle met with the pass and fired a right-footed shot across the face of the goal into the bottom left corner.
The Bears took their first lead of the contest in the 25th minute as junior Reese Doherty sent a deep ball from beyond the halfway line into the attacking third where senior transfer Lumi Kostmayer found herself in a footrace with the entire Triton back line. UCSD's goalkeeper, Charlotte Wilfert, raced to meet them but was too late as Kostmayer chipped the final Triton for her first career goal in blue and gold.
TOO GOOD! ??
— Cal Women's Soccer (@CalWSoc) August 15, 2025
Reese Doherty sends a perfect ball into Lumi Kostmayer and the senior transfer finds her first Cal goal! #GoBears pic.twitter.com/Ly0ka6tm2N
Just as it did in the first half, UC San Diego came out swinging in the early minutes and found an equalizer in the 50th minute to tie the match at 2-2. Once again it was Tibor who scored, giving her a brace on the night.
In the 72nd minute the Bears would get another opportunity, this time thanks to seventh-year forward Mia Fontana, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL. Junior Soleil Dimry centered a ball just outside of the six-yard box for a cutting Fontana, who was immediately taken down by a Triton defender as soon as she touched the ball. This was Fontana's first match since the 2023 season finale which took place 660 days ago.
Cal was awarded a penalty kick, and it was Dimry that stepped to spot and rocketed the game winner into the bottom right corner of the goal and just under the diving Wilfert.
Senior goalkeeper Teagan Wy made the start for the Bears picking up four saves and her first win of the season.
Cal will now head north to face Cal State Fullerton this Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
Team Stats

Ava Tibor (2)
Assisted By: Natalie Abel
GOAL by UCSD Tibor, Ava Assist by Abel, Natalie.
03:01

Coco Thistle (1)
Assisted By: Elhom Khursand
GOAL by CAL Thistle, Coco Assist by Khursand, Elhom.
05:56

Lumi Kostmayer (1)
Assisted By: Reese Doherty
GOAL by CAL Kostmayer, Lumi Assist by Doherty, Reese.
24:42

Ava Tibor (2)
GOAL by UCSD Tibor, Ava.
49:44

Soleil Dimry
CAL Soleil Dimry PENALTY KICK GOAL.
71:09


























