CINCINNATI - The California lacrosse team never trailed in the first three periods but needed to survive a wild fourth to win 11-10 in a nonconference game against Xavier (2-9) in the first-ever meeting between the teams on Tuesday at Corcoran Field.

The Golden Bears (6-7) victory gave them six or more wins in three consecutive seasons for the first time since posting at least six wins in each of the first 15 seasons of the program (1999-2013). It also improved Cal's record to 3-1 in one-goal games this season and was the first they had played over their last eight contests, which had all been decided by at least seven goals.

Cal scored the game's first three goals (Courtney Wong, Willow Cyr, Josie Lillquist) and looked to be heading towards a decisive victory. Cal led by as many as three goals on six different occasions, the last coming at 8-5 on Ashleigh Masterson's unassisted goal with 8:28 remaining in the third but could not pull away from the Musketeers.

Xavier got back into the game and eventually took the lead for the first time by scoring the game's next four goals to go ahead 9-8. Samantha Balara, Gabby Bouman and Genevieve Hathaway scored the final three goals of the third period with Maya Graham assisting on each of the last two.

Greer Simonton started the wild fourth period and gave the Musketeers their first lead when she scored on an assist from Megan Droney to put Xavier ahead for the first time with 13:22 to go in the contest.

But Cal responded with three straight unassisted goals from Wong, Katie McMullen and Juliana Doran on a free position attempt with 3:12 remaining to put the Bears ahead 11-9.

Doran also won the ensuing draw control and the Bears ran off nearly all 90 seconds of the possession clock before Doran took a shot that was saved by Xavier's Jada Brandon to give the ball back to the Musketeers. Balara then earned a free position attempt when Cal's Clara Page committed a foul with just over a minute remaining and converted with 0:59 to go to pull Xavier within 11-10.

Xavier won the draw control but committed an offsides foul and was assessed a green card to give the ball back to Bears. But Cal turned it back over to the Musketeers for one final attempt by Balera that banged off the right post. Annette Ciupek swooped up the ground ball just before the clock expired to secure the Bears' win.

Byr, Lillquist and Wong ended up with two goals each for the Bears, while Moes had a goal and a pair of assists for a team-high three points. 

Balara had a game-high four goals and was the only Musketeer with more than one. Graham had two of Xavier's three assists, while Droney had a goal and an assist.

Cal concludes its current three-game road trip with an Atlantic Coast Conference contest Saturday at No. 13 Notre Dame (7-3, 3-3 ACC). First draw is at 10 am PT and the contest can be watched live on ACCNX/ESPN+.