Cal Men's Soccer Opens Season In Moraga

BERKELEY – The California men's soccer team opens the 2021 fall regular season with a pair of nonconference road games, as the Golden Bears take on Saint Mary's on Thursday at 1 p.m. and battle UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
 
The WCC Network will broadcast the Cal-Saint Mary's game here, and live stats for Thursday's game in Moraga are available here. Live stats for Sunday's game in Santa Barbara are available here.
 
Fans can follow Twitter updates for all Cal games at @CalMSoc.
 
Last Time: Cal Draws With Dons
Cal ended the preseason in a 2-2 exhibition tie with San Francisco on a cloudy Aug. 20 at Edwards Stadium. Juan Martinez and Kevin Carmichael scored for the Golden Bears, who tied all three of their preseason games.
 
The Dons got off to a strong start when midfielder Dominic Valdivia scored directly off a corner kick in the second minute. USF eventually took the 1-0 lead into halftime.
 
The Bears were the aggressors early in the second half and collected two goals within about a minute of each other to take a 2-1 lead. Cal knotted the game at 1-1 when Martinez scored off an Evan Davila assist in the 52nd minute, looping the ball over USF goalkeeper Brandon Keniston for his second goal of the preseason.
 
In the 53rd minute, Cal senior forward Alonzo Del Mundo took a corner kick that connected with Carmichael, a freshman defender who headed the ball past Keniston to give the Bears the lead.
 
But USF forward Nonso Adimabua netted a 67th-minute goal that provided the final scoreline in the 90-minute game.
 
About the Bears

• Among the Golden Bears back this season are spring 2021 All-Pac-12 honorees Christopher Grey (first team), Alonzo Del Mundo (honorable mention), JJ Foe Nuphaus (honorable mention) and Ian Lonergan (honorable mention).
• Along with his All-Pac-12 honor, forward Alonzo Del Mundo (1 goal, 1 assist) earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-Far West Region second team.
• Forward Jonathan Estrada paced the Bears in points (8) and goals (3) last season and tied for the team high in assists (2) with forward Nate Carrasco.
• Collin Travasos shone in his debut season, notching three shutouts and a 1.59 goals-against average.
• Both Travasos and forward Arman Samimi (1 goal, 1 assist) earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors in the spring regular season.
• Kevin Grimes, Cal's all-time leader with 208 victories, is in his 22nd season as the Bears' head coach.

About the Gaels

• Saint Mary's received votes (13) in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll.
• The Gaels were also second in the WCC's preseason poll behind Loyola Marymount; Cal plays the Lions on Sept. 24 in Berkeley.
• Senior midfielder Sebastian Schacht earned a spot on the preseason All-WCC team.
• Schacht was named to the All-WCC first team in the spring after posting three goals (all on penalty kicks) and one assist.
• Saint Mary's posted a 6-2-1 record in its abbreviated spring 2021 regular season.
• Fifth-year goalkeeper Nicholas Lapind posted a 1.02 GAA and three shutouts in the spring.
• Adam Cooper is in his 16th season as the Gaels' head coach.

About the Gauchos

• UCSB hosts San Diego on Aug. 26 in its season opener.
• The Gauchos tied UC Davis for the top spot in the Big West preseason poll.
• Forward Finn Ballard McBride (9 goals, 2 assists in 2019) and defender Carson Vom Steeg earned spots on the preseason All-Big West team.
• The Gauchos played a seven-game exhibition season in the spring of 2021.
• UCSB last played regular-season soccer in 2019.
• The Gauchos ended 2019 with 15-5-4 record after a 1-0, NCAA quarterfinal loss to Wake Forest.
• Tim Vom Steeg is in his 22nd season as the head coach of UCSB.

 
Next Time
Cal hosts its first regular-season home game on Sept. 3 against Dixie State at 1 p.m. and then hosts UNLV on Sept. 5 also at 1 p.m. The latter game will air on the Pac-12 Networks.