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No. 3/4 Cal Hosts Colgate, Charleston

by calbears.com
Sep 16, 2013

BERKELEY – Nationally ranked California returns to play two matches on Goldman Field, as Colgate visits on Friday, Sept. 20, at 4:30 p.m. and the College of Charleston meets the No. 3/4 Golden Bears at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22. Cal boasts a 3-0-1 record heading into the nonconference games, while Colgate has compiled a 1-5-0 mark, and the College of Charleston is 1-3-0.

Poll Position
The Bears are ranked third by Soccer America and fourth by College Soccer News for the second consecutive week, and they moved up from fifth to fourth in both the NSCAA and Top Drawer Soccer polls this week. The Bears were ranked 10th in the Soccer Times poll last week; this week’s poll is also forthcoming.

Scouting the Bears

  • Defender Steve Birnbaum added to his team-high goals total with his career-high third goal in Cal’s 1-1 double overtime tie at Penn State on Sept. 13
  • Birnbaum, a fifth-year senior, also leads Cal in points with seven
  • Junior midfielder Seth Casiple paces the Bears in assists (2)
  • Sophomore Justin Taillole has notched a 0.70 goals-against average after playing every minute in goal this year for the Bears
  • Cal’s co-captains are Birnbaum, Casiple and senior midfielder Alec Sundly
  • Kevin Grimes is in his 14th season as head coach at Cal; the former SMU All-American (class of 1990) claimed five Pac-10 Coach of the Year awards (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010) before the Conference became the Pac-12 in 2011

Scouting the Raiders

  • Colgate’s only win came in its last game – a 3-1 victory over Cal State Fullerton at home on Sept. 15
  • Freshman forwards Geinda Smith and Zach Pagani lead Colgate in points (4) and goals (2)
  • Pagani scored both his goals in the win over Fullerton
  • Senior defender Barrett Metzger paces Colgate with two assists
  • Freshman goalkeeper Ricky Brown, who made two saves against Fullerton, has a 1.27 GAA in five games and four starts
  • Erik Ronning is in his ninth year as head coach of the Raiders

Scouting the Cougars

  • The College of Charleston plays at Stanford at 7 p.m. on Friday
  • Charleston has scored one goal and allowed five in four games this season
  • CofC lost to Vermont, 2-0, at home in its last match on Sept. 13
  • Freshman midfielder/forward Xavier Rajpaul scored CofC’s lone goal in CofC’s 1-0 win over his namesake, Xavier
  • Rajpaul plays for the Trinidad & Tobago under-20 national team
  • Junior forward/defender Tanner Clay has his team’s only assist, as he set up Rajpaul’s goal
  • Ralph Lundy is in his 26th season as head coach of the Cougars

Next Time
The Bears host Santa Clara on Sept. 27 at 4:30 p.m. in another nonconference match.

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