Cal vs #2 USC
Thursday, Sep. 27 | 12:00 PM PT | Edwards Stadium | Berkeley, Calif. | Pac-12 Networks
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Cal vs #16 UCLA
Sunday, Sep. 30 | 3:00 PM PT | Edwards Stadium | Berkeley, Calif. | Pac-12 Networks
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BERKELEY – The Cal women's soccer team continues its conference homestand this week with matches against in-state rivals USC and UCLA. The Golden Bears (4-4-1, 0-1-0 Pac-12) host the 2^nd-ranked Trojans (8-0-1 1-0-0 Pac-12) at Noon PT on Thursday before taking on the 16^th-ranked Bruins (5-2-1, 0-1-0 Pac-12) at 3 p.m. PT on Sunday. Both matches will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks and are part of doubleheaders with the Cal men's soccer team.

Heading into the second weekend of conference play, this weeks' games mark the earliest meetings ever between the Golden Bears and their conference rivals from down the coast. Cal's series with USC and UCLA spans more than two decades, yet prior to this year the schools had never played earlier than October. This also marks the first time since 2015 that Cal has faced its LA rivals in Berkeley.

Cal kicked off conference play at home last weekend, falling to Arizona State on a goal in the 82^nd-minute. Sophomore Emma Westin gave the Bears the lead in the 27^th minute with her third goal of the season, but the Sun Devils scored two unanswered in the second half to come away with the victory.

Westin, a forward from Stockholm, Sweden, leads the Bears with eight points this season, scoring three goals and adding two assists for far this season. Juniors Abi Kim and Kayla Fong have also scored three goals on the season while midfielder Mia Corbin leads the squad with three assists. Freshman Amanda Zodikoff has played the last four games for the Bears in goal, making 17 saves so far on the season.

Looking to get back in the win column, the Bears also have the opportunity to earn their first win of the season against a ranked opponent. Both of Cal's matches against Top-25 opponents during the non-conference campaign came on the road, falling at then No. 19 Santa Clara – now up to No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches' Poll – and No. 21 Oklahoma State.
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Both of Cal's matches this weekend will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks and will be available for streaming through Pac-12.com/live.  Troy Clardy and Christopher Sullivan will be on the call for Thursday's match vs the Trojans while Kate Scott and Kelly Gray will cover Sunday's showdown against UCLA. Live stats for will be available for both matches with additional in-game updates available on the Bears' Twitter (@CalWSoc) and Instagram (@CalWSoc) accounts. 

LAST TIME OUT
A goal late in regulation sunk the Bears in their Pac-12 opener, as Cal fell to Arizona State, 2-1, on Saturday at Edwards Stadium. Cal opened the scoring in the 27^th minute as Westin found the back of the net for the third time this season, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead heading into the locker room.
However, Arizona State has able to seize momentum in the second half, outshooting the Bears, 9-5, over the final 45 minutes and scoring two unanswered goals to pick up the win on the road. Nicole Douglas pounced on a rebound in the 70^th minute to level the score at 1-1, and Alexia Delgardo provided the game-winning strike for Arizona State in the 82^nd minute.

Zodkioff made three saves for the Bears in the loss while Kim led Cal with four shots on the afternoon, three of which were on target.

SCOUTING THE TROJANS
USC enters the weekend unbeaten on the season and ranked No. 2 in the latest United Soccer Coaches' Poll. The Trojans opened conference play with a 3-0 win over Washington and are on a five-game winning streak, only dropping points in a 0-0 double-overtime draw on the road against No. 7 Florida State.

USC's offense has been powered by senior Leah Pruitt, who leads the team and ranks second in the conference with seven goals on the season. Pruitt tallied both a goal and an assist in the last week's conference-opening win over the Huskies. Redshirt sophomore Savannah DeMelo leads the Trojans with six assists and has also added four goals on the year.

Defensively, the Trojans have conceded just three goals on the season, tied for the fewest in the conference and third overall in Division I. Kaylie Collins has started all nine games for the Trojans this season, posting six shutouts.

Keidane McAlpine is in his fifth season as head coach of the Trojans and returns 16 players from last season's squad that reached the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. USC was picked to finish third in the 2018 Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' Poll.

SCOUTING THE BRUINS
The Bruins enter the weekend looking to bounce back from a 1-0 loss at home to Washington State in their Pac-12 opener. The Bruins will square off against top-ranked Stanford at 8 p.m. PT Friday on the Farm before heading to Berkeley for Sunday's match.

The last meeting between Cal and UCLA in Berkeley came on October 30, 2015 saw the Golden Bears blank the Bruins, 7-0. The seven-goal victory matched Cal's largest conference win in program history and marked Cal's first win over the Bruins since 2004. Arielle Ship led Cal with a hat trick and an assist in the win.

UCLA went 5-1-1 in during the 2018 non-conference campaign, with its lone loss coming in a 4-1 road defeat against No. 4 Florida State. The Bruins opened the road trip with a 0-0 double-overtime draw vs No. 22 Florida.

Senior Hailie Mace leads the Bruins with eight points this season, scoring two goals to go along with four assists. Classmate Anika Rodrigues also has four assists on the year while Ashley Sanchez, Delanie Sheehan, and Maricarmen Reyes have also scored multiple goals this season. On the other end of the pitch, Teagan Micah and Lauren Brzykcy have both seen time in goal this season, with Brzykcy starting the conference opener vs Washington State. 

Head coach Amanda Cromwell is in her sixth season at UCLA and returns nine starters from last season's squad that reached the NCAA title match. The Bruins were picked to finish second in the 2018 Pac-12 Preseason Coaches' Poll.

NEXT UP
The Bears will head to the Pacific Northwest next weekend for their first conference road trip. Cal takes visits Oregon State on Thursday, October 4 for a 7 p.m. PT matchup, before heading to Eugene for a 1 p.m. showdown with the Ducks on Sunday, October 7. Cal won both meetings last season in Berkeley, beating the Beavers, 1-0, behind a goal from Daisy Cleverley, and topping the Ducks, 3-0, on Senior Day. Cal went 3-3-0 on the road last season in conference, with all three losses coming to Top-10 opponents.
 
2018 TICKETS
Tickets are available for sale for the 2018 Cal women's soccer season. Admission is $10 for adults,$5 for seniors, and $5 for youth. Cal students and staff receive free admission with a valid ID and entry is free for ages 13 and below Monday through Thursday. For more information on tickets or group rates, call the Gold Standard Sales and Service line at (800) GO BEARS (462-3277) or visit the CalBears.com ticket page.

STAY POSTED
Keep up-to-date on the Golden Bears throughout the year by following the team on Twitter (@CalWSoc), Instagram (@CalWSoc), and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalWSoc).