STANFORD – California field hockey was shut out for just the third time this season as the Golden Bears fell to the Stanford Cardinal, 4-0, in their regular-season finale on the Farm Sunday afternoon.
 
Cal finishes the regular season with a 9-7 overall record, and still owns a share of the America East West Division title with a 4-2 record in conference.
 
Sunday's decision was just the third shutout loss of the season for the Bears, all of which have come against top 20 opponents. Stanford outshot Cal 15-8 and led 4-2 in penalty corners. Only three Bears managed to send forward shots on the day, led by Megan Rodgers (4), Melina Moore (3) and Alie Zimmer (1).
 
"We didn't seem to be ready to play from the first whistle," said head coach Shellie Onstead. "We adjusted somewhat at halftime but couldn't really overcome the fact that we were shorthanded. We defaulted to some bad habits, and as long as we learn something from this, we will consider it worthwhile."
 
Cal's depleted midfield once again lacked Lindsay Mathison -- second among the team in assists (6) -- and Katrina Carter – third for goals (4) and assists (4) – and the Bears struggled to power their offense across the turf. Cal's eight shots marked the program's second-lowest total of the season.
 
Kristina Bassi notched a hat trick for the Cardinal, scoring in the 19th, 33rd and 53rd minutes. Corinne Zanolli scored Stanford's second goal in the 22nd minute.
 
Zimmer's bold breakaway in the 17th minute nearly put the Bears on the board as she went 1v1 with Stanford keeper Kelsey Bing, and Moore almost converted a pair of penalty corners near the 52-minute mark, with a drag saved by Bing and a flick that went wide.
 
Cal goalkeeper Danielle Mentink logged seven saves in nearly 64 minutes of action before she was pulled to make way for an extra offensive player in hopes that it would spark Cal to score.
 
Despite the loss, Cal has still clinched a share of the divisional title and awaits seeding for the upcoming conference tournament, to be determined following the final weekend of regular-season action.
 
HEAD COACH SHELLIE ONSTEAD'S TAKE
On game overall:
"We didn't seem to be ready to play from the first whistle. We adjusted somewhat at halftime but couldn't really overcome the fact that we were shorthanded. We defaulted to some bad habits, and as long as we learn something from this, we will consider it worthwhile."
 
On depleted roster:
"It always hurts to be missing starters, but we've been working on an overall concept and an overall structure all year and everybody's responsible for that. To their credit, they were unwilling to hang on that, and they shouldn't. I think we could've played a lot better today, with any personnel."
 
STANFORD'S GOALS
18:57 – Kristina Bassi (assisted by Phoebe Crosthwaite)
 
21:22 – Corinne Zanolli (unassisted)
 
33:42 – Kristina Bassi (assisted by Frances Carstens)
 
52:55 – Kristina Bassi (assisted by Corinne Zanolli)
 
NEXT UP
With the regular season wrapped up, the Golden Bears await the full bracket for the 2017 America East Field Hockey Tournament, set for Nov. 2-5 in Lowell, Mass.