Bears on a roll: Santa Clara extends Bears’ unbeaten streak
The Bears bring the heat to their match with Fullerton as they move on with an unbeaten streak of four games. Cal’s performance on the turf was not the only thing on fire, though, as the game had to be stopped during the 70th minute to allow the players a chance to hydrate as the ongoing heat wave in California put some additional strain on the contestants.
As both teams headed into the unknown and rekindled the rivalry between Cal and Fullerton that had since been put out in 2008, the schools were able to face each other again for the fifth time in history. With a similar overall score from both teams as Cal had 2-1-2 and Fullerton led with 3-1-2, it would seem that the matchup was quite even.
The blue and gold spared no time as they fired out three shots during the first four minutes of the game. Overall, the Bears outshot the Titans 15-9 but were unable to score any goals as Fullerton goalkeeper Mia Ranson put a stop to some nerve-wracking by Karlie Lema, Ayo Oke and Mia Fontana.
Ranson is the two-time reigning Big West Defender of the Week and posed as the Bears’ biggest nightmare during their game, as the goalkeeper pulled off six saves and was a huge barrier on Cal’s road to victory.
Cal goalkeeper Angelina Anderson stomped on Fullerton’s attempts to score as she saved the Bears twice, marking her second shutout of the season after marking her first with their match against Saint Mary’s.
Fullerton gained an advantage during the final seven minutes of the game as Courtney Boone received a red card for violent conduct, leaving Cal with one player down. Despite the advantage the Titans were handed, it was not enough for them to score and take the lead.
The Bears return to the Bay to face the Santa Clara Broncos at Stevens Stadium on Sept. 11. This match marks the 51st matchup between the two, with Cal holding a 22-20-8 lead. Their last match ended with a tie of 1-1 but Cal came in strong this time around and scooped up its third win of the season, bringing its overall score to 3-1-3 and leaving Santa Clara with a score of 2-5-0. Santa Clara has yet to win a game at home.
The offensive playing field was quite leveled for both teams as Cal had eight shots and Santa Clara had five. Bronco Izzy D’Aquila took all five shots for Santa Clara and the Broncos outshot Cal in corner kicks.
Anysa Gray scored her first goal of the season during the 29th minute after Lema took a shot. Gray quickly took Lema’s rebound and scored the only goal of the game.
Anderson continues to impress fans as she added on her third shutout of the season, bringing her career total to 23.
As time started to dwindle, the Broncos felt the pressure and started a series of rapid corner kicks. During the final five minutes of the game, Santa Clara gained six corners but was ultimately unable to find the equalizer it desperately fought for.
The blue and gold have now hit an unbeaten streak of six and fans expect the Bears to reach seven during their next game as their opponent holds an overall score of 2-5-0.
Looking ahead, the Bears will travel to Sin City to take on UNLV on Sept. 15 for their first out-of-state matchup this season before they head back to Bear territory to face Pennsylvania.
Jovana Camberos covers women’s soccer. Contact her at jcamberos@dailycal.org.