Cal Starts Pac-12 Slate In SoCal

BERKELEY – The California men's soccer team starts the Pac-12 schedule at San Diego State on Thursday and at UCLA on Sunday. The Golden Bears (2-2-1 record) face SDSU (3-0-2) at 7 p.m. on Thursday and then take on the Bruins (3-2-0) at 6 p.m. on Sunday. The latter match will air on the Pac-12 Networks.
 
Live scores for the SDSU game are available by clicking here, and fans can watch the live stream here. Click here for the live stats for the UCLA game, and visit Pac-12.com here to watch the Pac-12 Networks. Fans can also follow Twitter updates for all Cal games at @CalMSoc.
 
In the 2021 spring regular season, Cal defeated San Diego State twice – 3-2 in San Diego, where Arman Samimi scored the gamewinning goal, and 3-1 in Berkeley, where Jonathan Estrada netted the winner. The Bears split with UCLA last season. Cal beat the Bruins, 2-0, in Berkeley, with Evan Davila scoring the winner, and fell to UCLA, 4-3, in the regular-season finale in Los Angeles.
 
Singer, Davila Lauded For Play In Two Wins
Jack Singer claimed the Pac-12 Player of the Week honor and was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week after scoring three goals to lead Cal to victories over Dixie State on Sept. 3 and UNLV on Sept 5. This is the San Francisco native's first Pac-12 weekly award and the 40th for the Golden Bears program. Midfielder/forward Evan Davila claimed honorable mention for the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week for his heroics in both games.
 
Singer, a junior who has played as a defender, midfielder and forward in the early part of the season, netted the gamewinner in Cal's 2-0 victory over Dixie State in the home opener. He then scored Cal's first and third goals in a 4-3 win over UNLV also at Edwards Stadium.
 
Davila assisted on Singer's goal vs. Dixie State and scored Cal's second, and then the sophomore scored his second goal of the season against UNLV.
 
Last Time: Bears Fall To Tigers In San Jose
Cal took an early lead over Pacific thanks to Wyatt Meyer's fourth-minute goal on Sept. 9 at PayPal Park, the home of Major League Soccer's San Jose Earthquakes. But the Golden Bears ultimately lost to the Tigers, 2-1.
 
Things looked rosy when Meyer scored his second goal of the season to lift the Bears to a 1-0 lead. His shot took a deflection off a Tiger and snuck past goalkeeper Eric Cotton for the goal. The strike marked the second straight game in which the Bears scored within the first five minutes.
 
But a Cal foul in the box resulted in a Pacific penalty kick in the 13th minute. Emory Rapaport converted the PK to tie the game. In the 17th minute, Ryan Her scored from close range to give Pacific a 2-1 lead.
 
Cal had chances to score the equalizer in the last few minutes of the game, including an 84th-minute shot from Ian Lonergan and a last-minute free kick from Juan Martinez, but the Tigers held off the Bears.

About the Bears

• Jack Singer and Evan Davila are tied for the team lead in scoring (6 points each).
• Singer paces the Bears in goals (3).
• Davila is tied with midfielder/forward Juan Martinez with a team-best two assists.
• Goalkeeper Chris Gustini, who's started all five games, has a 1.48 goals-against average.
• Goalie Collin Travasos has a 0.00 GAA after playing the second half against Pacific.
• Midfielder/forward Wyatt Meyer has two goals and an assist and ranks third in points (5).
• Kevin Grimes, Cal's all-time leader with 210 victories, is in his 22nd season as the Bears' head coach.

About SDSU

• San Diego State won a pair 1-0 games vs. UC Davis Sept. 10 and Cal St. Bakersfield Sept. 12 in its last two matchups.
• Defender Kyle Colonna and forward Alex Hjaelmof (1 goal, 1 assist each) are tied for the team lead in scoring (3 points).
• Midfielder Inigo Villaldea paces SDSU in assists (2).
• Goalkeeper Jacob Castro has compiled a 0.18 GAA in five games.
• Ryan Hopkins is in his second year as SDSU's head coach.

About UCLA

• UCLA hosts Stanford on Thursday before playing the Bears on Sunday.
• The Bruins lost their last game, 1-0, to Portland in Los Angeles.
• Defender Tommy Silva leads UCLA in goals (3) and points (7).
• Midfielders Tucker Lepley and Jose Sosa are tied with a team-high two assists.
• Goalkeeper Justin Garces has a 0.83 GAA in five games.
• Ryen Jordan is in his third season as UCLA's head coach.

Next Time
Cal hosts Loyola Marymount on Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. in a nonconference game before returning to Pac-12 Conference action.
 
Social Media
For more coverage of the Cal men's soccer team, please follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalMSoc), Instagram (@CalMSoc) and Facebook (@CalMSoc).