Cal Falls In Regular Season Finale
STANFORD - California women's soccer fell in the regular season finale against No. 14 Stanford, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon at Cagan Stadium. The Bears scored a 61st minute goal by Anysa Gray to make the score 2-1, but Cal couldn't complete the comeback.
Gray scored after a beautiful play where Ayo Oke received the ball in the attacking third, and played the ball to Emma Westin. Westin played a no-look heel pass to the feet of Gray, who took the pass, moved the ball on to her right foot and fired a shot into the bottom corner of the goal, to the keeper's left.
The Bears started the game strongly, recording the first shot on goal in the fourth minute. Ayo Oke took on two Cardinal defenders in the midfield and then played a ball straight into the path of an onrushing Emma Westin. Westin charged down the left side of the box and fired a shot on goal, but it was saved.
Oke almost created another great opportunity as she swung the ball in from the right flank that left Stanford's defense flat-footed, but the ball was just out of reach for Ari Manrique's run.
Stanford took the lead in the 21st minute as Belle Briede got down the left flank and played a ball into the middle, which Madison Haley finished off to put the Cardinal up 1-0.
In the 34th minute, Paige Metayer had a goal-saving block for the Bears. The midfielder dropped back into the goal mouth and headed the ball away off a shot from Samantha Williams with an alert play. Metayer's improvised play made sure the score stayed 1-0 at the halftime break.
Cal opened the half strongly as Karlie Lema turned a Cardinal defender and got to the endline. She then fired a cross into the box that just missed the head of Westin.
Stanford added a second goal in the 57th minute. Maya Doms laid the ball off to Jojo Harbor who turned at the top of the box and fired the ball into the back of the net.
After Gray's goal, the Bears were pushing for a winner, but Doms sealed the game for Stanford in the 85th minute with a left-footed strike into the corner of the net.
California (8-7-3, 4-6-1) took seven shots during the game, while Stanford (13-5-1, 7-3-1) forced Angelina Anderson into seven saves.
Saturday's game brought a close to the 2021 regular season for the Bears. Cal will now wait to see if their season will continue at the NCAA Selection Show on Monday. The show will be streamed live on NCAA.com at 1:30 p.m. PT.