June 7, 2011
BERKELEY - Already ensconced in the California women's soccer record books, two-time first-team All-Pac-10 performer Maite Zabala's athletic accolades have earned her inclusion in the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame.
"It is an honor for me to have even been nominated for the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame, and to be inducted this year, is beyond comprehension for me right now," Zabala said. "Congratulations to all my fellow Bears! I look forward to the events in November and thanking all those responsible for helping me during my career at Cal."
The four-year letterwinner for the Golden Bears will be inducted Nov. 11 at the annual Hall of Fame banquet at the Greek Orthodox Church Conference Center in Oakland. The new inductees will also be honored at halftime of Cal's Nov. 12 football game vs. Oregon State at AT&T Park.
"We are very pleased for Maite," California head coach Neil McGuire said. "Her induction into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame is well deserved and a testament to not only her athletic prowess, but also beyond that a greater compliment to her character as a person."
Zabala was an outstanding goalkeeper for the Bears from 1997-2000, helping Cal to three NCAA Tournaments. Named team MVP on two occasions and second-team All-Pac-10 in 1997, she was a three-year team captain and a second-team Pac-10 All-Academic choice in 1999. Zabala's high in shutouts came as a senior when she recorded 9.5 and ranked 10th in the NCAA in goals-against average (0.64).
In 2000, she led the Bears to a school-record 17 wins while finishing her career as the program's all-time leader in shutouts (26.5) and saves (277). She finished with a career goals-against average of 0.88 in over 6,200 minutes of play.
She was a first-round draft pick and played professionally with three teams in the WUSA before spending the 2004 season in Spain with Athletic Bilbao.
Zabala served as an assistant coach at Cal from 2001-06, the first three seasons as a volunteer. Zabala just completed her fourth season as an assistant at USF.
"She is an outstanding person and role model within the soccer community as she shares her life lessons with the next generation of soccer stars," McGuire said.
The Cal Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2011
Ned Anderson - a rugby standout from 1968-71 and Cal's head coach from 1975-83
Amanda Augustus/Amy Jensen - as a tennis doubles team, they captured NCAA titles in 1998 and '99
Jan Brogan - Cal women's tennis coach from 1978-2007 and an eight-time conference coach of the year
Dave Butler - a two-time Academic All-American and the 1983 Pac-10 men's basketball Freshman of the Year
Deltha O'Neal - a consensus All-American as a senior who was the 1999 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year
Bryan Price - one of the top left-handers in school history who won 25 games and struck out 235 batters
Maite Zabala - a three-time All-Pac-10 goalkeeper who set the Cal women's soccer record for career shutouts
