BERKELEY - The California lacrosse team (5-6) scored 10 consecutive goals in the second half to turn a two-point deficit midway through the third period into a runaway 18-10 victory over Marist (1-7) in a nonconference game at California Memorial Stadium on Monday. The 18 goals were Cal's season high.
Courtney Wong ended up leading a season-high 12 different goal scorers with a career-high-tying four and also tied her career best with six points by adding two assists.
Alina Hsu's three goals and three points were also both career bests, while
Josie Lillquist added the Bears' other multiple-goal game with a pair of tallies.
Avery Hoeft and
Emily Moes each had one goal and multiple assists with Hoeft registering three and Moes a career-high-tying two.
Brynn Gallagher and Ashleigh Masteron had one goal and one assist each, while
Katie Bloomer,
Willow Cyr,
Jane Middleton,
Dahlen Vilbrandt and
Maddie Willkomm had single goals
.
Cal trailed 8-6 until Hsu scored an unassisted goal with 7:05 to go in the third period to start the barrage. Moes then tied the game for the first time since the opening half of the first period less than two minutes later on an assist from Hoeft with 5:23 remaining in the third period before Wong gave the Bears their first lead of the game and quickly made it a two-goal Cal advantage with back-to-back unassisted goals with 4:16 and 3:06. Hsu then wrapped up the quarter with an unassisted goal with 0:42 to go.
But the Bears were far from done and after scoring the final five goals of the third quarter would also score the first five of the fourth. Gallagher restarted the rally on a goal with 13:02 to go in the fourth and was followed by Hoeft (11:24), Lillquist (10:53), Cyr (8:20) and Bloomer (7:32). The Bears assisted on each of their first five fourth-period goals with those credited in chronological order to Moes, Masterson, Moes again, Wong and Hoeft.
After Marist ended the 10-0 run on an unassisted goal by Kate Givens with 5:39 to go, the Bears would add two of the game's final three goals unassisted from Willkomm (4:47) and Vilbrandt on an assist from Gallagher.
Chloe Rand earned her first win and decision of the season in goal after entering the game in relief of starter
Lulu Murphy with 4:46 remaining in the opening period and the Bears trailing 4-2. Rand allowed only five goals and picked up five saves in 44:07 of work before giving way to
Sydney Partovi for the final 5:39.
Gaven was one of four different Marist players along with Gabby Kingston, Amelia Pirozzi and Anne Shine who finished with two goals each, while Isabella Dantuono and Kathryn Stakler added one each. Gaven also had both of Marist's assists to finish with a team-high four points,
Cal had a sizable advantage in nearly every team statistic, including shots (39-27), shots on goal (24-17), draw controls (20-10) and ground balls (20-13). Marist did cause 12 turnovers compared to only four for the Bears. The teams nearly combined for a perfect clear percentage with Marist 18-of-18 and Cal 17-of-18, while the Bears made 3-of-7 free position shots and the Red Foxes did not attempt any.
Cal concluded its season-long four-game homestand with Monday's victory and begins a three-game road trip with an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Louisville (4-5, 1-4 ACC) on Saturday. First draw is at 9 am PT and the contest can be watched live on ACCNX/ESPN+.
