BERKELEY - The 17th-ranked California men's soccer team fell to San Francisco in its home opener 2-1 on Thursday despite a second-half surge that included the second penalty kick of the season for Alfredo Ortiz.
 
With the nonconference loss at Edwards Stadium, Cal's record stands at 2-1-0. The Dons also have a 2-1-0 record.
 
USF scored the game's first goal in the 29th minute, with Brayden Beason knocking in a long cross from David Raphael.
 
In the 32nd minute, a Golden Bear blocked a Beason shot, but the ball wound up at Samuel Atiye's feet, and the midfielder scored from close range to make Cal's deficit two goals.
 
The Bears earned their 56th-minute penalty kick thanks to the play of a pair of freshmen. First, winger Callen Lewis crossed from the flank into the penalty area, and USF goalkeeper Lucas Jones could only parry the ball into the path of midfielder Noe Morales, who was then tripped in the box. Ortiz converted the ensuing penalty kick to make the score 2-1.
 
Ortiz has now scored both penalty kicks he has taken as a Bear. He also scored the team's lone penalty kick in 2024 that resulted in the game-winning goal against North Carolina in the first round of the ACC Championship.
 
Thursday's goal and second-half performance – Cal outshot the Dons 5-1 in the final 45 minutes – were reminiscent of the Bears' first two games. In the second half against the Gaels, Cal posted a 12-3 shots advantage and scored twice. The Bears outshot UCLA 12-0 in the second half and scored in the last minute of the 1-0 win in Los Angeles on Sunday.
 
Against USF, Cal took three more shots after their goal. But Cam Wilkerson's 61st-minute effort was saved by Jones, Morales fired high in the 85th minute and forward Luka Lukic – on the Bears' last shot of the game – had his low shot saved by Jones in the 88th minute.
 
"We've got to find a way to bring that second-half energy into the first half, and if we do that we'd be a tough team to play against and beat," Cal head coach Leonard Griffin said. "I'm happy with the guys' fight, but at the same time there's a lot for us to take away and learn from. And we have to adjust, rest and get ready for UCSD on Sunday to get a result here at home."
 
Cal hosts the Tritons in another nonconference match on Sunday at 4 p.m. PT at Edwards Stadium.
 
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