Finale At Witter

BERKELEY - California returns for its final game of the season on April 16 at 4 p.m. for a conference matchup against rival, Stanford. After a tough finish last weekend against ranked opponents UCLA and USC, the Golden Bears (5-6-1, 3-6-1 Pac-12) look to up their conference ranks before the conclusion of the season. 

Cal seeks to improve following a pair of losses against the No. 3 Bruins and now No. 19 Trojans. Keely Roy scored the lone goal for the Bears last weekend after pouncing a shot off the foot of a Bruin defender. Roy's goal marked her third goal of the season to tie her with Emma Westin as the Bears' scoring leader. Despite being outscored by both teams, the Cal defense held both UCLA and the Trojans below their points-per-game average. 

The Bears earned their first victory against Stanford in eight years last month when Cal maintained the Cardinal to a 1-0 shutout at the Farm. The Bears have not beat the Cardinal in Berkeley since the 2013 season.

As the last home game of the season, the Bears will honor five seniors on Senior Day - Kailee Gifford, Julia Curtis, Whitney Davis, Kai Henderson, and Morgan Rogers. 

Current seniors Emily Smith and Emma Westin will return for a fifth season in the fall and did not use any eligibility during this COVID-19 impacted season.

In accordance with public health guidelines, Cal Athletics is able to welcome a small number of student-athlete and coach guests to outdoor home events. No tickets for general public use will be sold at athletic venues due to capacity restrictions.

The game will be televised on Pac-12 Bay Area. Fans may also follow along with live play-by-play updates on Live Stats and @CalWSoc on Twitter. 

SCOUTING THE CARDINAL

The 2019 National Champions entered the spring 2021 season with a much younger team composed of 16 underclassman on the roster. The Card returns three All-Americans - Naomi Girma, Madison Haley, and Kiki Pickett 

Stanford currently average 13.9 shots per game, standing sixth in the conference.The Stanford attack has dominated most competitors and only two teams have succeeded in outshooting the Card. The Cardinal has produced 17 goals this season and Samantha Williams leads the team with three goals. 

Last month at the Farm, the Bears held the Cardinal to a shutout despite being outshot 21-4. Impressive goalkeeping from Angelina Anderson earned the Cal keeper to nine saves, her second highest single-game save record this spring. Anderson collected a game-winning save in the 87th minute when Civana Kuhlmann earned a penalty kick at the top of the box. Mia Fontana, assisted by Emma Westin, scored the gamewinner in the 42nd minute marking the first Cal goal against Stanford in five years. 

Overall, the Bears trail in the rivalry series, 13-22-5. In Berkeley, the Bears trail,  8-10-2.

UP NEXT
The Golden Bears will find out their postseason fate on Monday, when the 2021 Women's Soccer Selection Show airs on Monday, April 19 at 1PM ET on NCAA.com.

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).