The California men's soccer team embarks on its second road trip of the young season and starts its ACC schedule when it plays at Boston College on Sunday at  1 p.m. PT.
 
The Golden Bears bring a 2-1-1 record – including a 2-0-0 road mark – into their battle with the Eagles.
 
At Boston College (2-2-0)
When: Sunday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m. PT
Where: Newton Campus Lacrosse and Soccer Field, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Watch: ACCNX
Live Stats: Sidearm
 
Cal Falls To Dons, Ties Tritons
Cal fell in its home opener to San Francisco 2-1 on Aug. 28 at Edwards Stadium, with Bears defender Alfredo Ortiz scoring his first goal of the season on a 56th-minute penalty kick.
 
In their second home match last Sunday, the Bears took a 1-0 lead over UC San Diego thanks to a 45th-minute Malcolm Zalayet goal set up by Cam Wilkerson. Cal wound up tying the Tritons 1-1.
 
Scouting the Bears

• Newcomer Luka Lukic – a graduate transfer from UC Riverside – was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Week for the first week of the season after the forward scored three goals in his first two games as a Golden Bear, including the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory at UCLA on Aug. 24 and a brace in a 3-2 win at Saint Mary's in the Aug. 21 season opener
• The Belgrade, Serbia, native leads Cal in goals (3), points (6) and shots (12) and is tied with Cam Wilkerson – who tallied the winner against the Gaels - for the lead in game-winning goals (1)
• Goalkeeper Connor Lambe – another grad student – has played the first halves of all four of Cal's games thus far and posted a 1.00 goals-against average
• Sophomore goalie Zack Andoh has notched a 1.50 GAA after playing the second halves of all four matches
• Senior defender Alfredo Ortiz was one of 15 players named to the ACC Preseason Watch List this summer, after ranking fourth in goals (3) and points (7) for the Bears in 2024
• Ortiz also contributed one of Cal's biggest goals of the season in the ACC Championship opener last November in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, converting Cal's lone penalty kick of the season to give the Bears a 2-1 win over the host Tar Heels
• Leonard Griffin – who won the NCAA championship as a UCLA player in 2002 – was named the 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year last season and is in his fourth year as head coach of the Golden Bears
• A former professional player who was drafted No. 11 overall by the Chicago Fire in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft, Griffin made MLS stops in Portland, Oregon, in Columbus, Ohio, and in Los Angeles with the Galaxy
• The Cal staff includes assistant coaches Ricardo Gutierrez – who worked with Griffin in the latter's previous stops at Grand Canyon and USF – and Jacob Wilson, a Cal men's soccer alumnus
• Henry Foulk – another Golden Bear alum and assistant coach – is in his 25th year of mentoring the goalkeepers at his alma mater
• Foulk and Cal have produced several talented goalies who have matriculated to the professional ranks, including current pros Stefan Frei (Seattle Sounders FC, MLS), Drake Callender (Charlotte FC, MLS), David Bingham (Charlotte FC, MLS) and Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena FC, Italy Serie B)

Scouting the Eagles

• Boston College is 2-1-0 at home at the Newton Campus Lacrosse and Soccer Field
• The Eagles beat Binghamton 1-0 in its season opener at home, lost to Siena 3-1 at home, fell to Providence 2-0 on the road and returned to Newton to knock off Northeastern 1-0 on Tuesday
• Midfielder Ask Ekeland scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick against Northeastern and is tied for the BC lead in goals (1) and game-winning goals (1) with Johannes Hanken Tjostheim, who netted the winner against Binghamton
• Ekeland – who also has one assist – paces the Eagles in points (3)
• Andrej Borak has played all 360 minutes in goal for BC and has a 1.25 GAA, two shutouts and 0.737 save percentage

Klinsmann Named To USMNT Camp
Cal alum Jonathan Klinsmann was named to the U.S. Men's National Team training camp ahead of friendlies against South Korea scheduled for Saturday and Japan next Wednesday. The son of former USMNT head coach and Germany star Juergen Klinsmann, the 28-year-old Jonathan Klinsmann played 22 games for Cal from 2015-16.
 
Next Time
Cal ends its trek to the Boston area next Wednesday when it plays a nonconference match at Harvard.
 
Stay Posted
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