Cal Earns Draw On The Road

SAN FRANCISCO – California women's soccer dominated possession and opportunities against San Francisco but settled for a draw, 1-1, on Thursday night at Negoesco Stadium.
 
After falling behind in the 75th minute, the Bears responded with a goal in the 78th to return to Berkeley with a tie. Ayo Oke broke the lines with a dynamic run from the left side of defense that broke down the defense. She then found Keely Roy on the right who took a touch and fired a shot that found the side netting from 25 yards away. The goal was Roy's third goal in the past two games after scoring twice last Sunday against UCSD.
 
The Bears (2-1-1) had a 15-9 advantage in shots and a 5-1 edge in shots on goal over USF (2-1-2). Cal also created 11 corner kicks and only surrendered 2. Cal hasn't allowed a single opponent to have more than two shots on goal so far this season and that trend continued Thursday evening.
 
Cal had the first chance of the game as the ball got played into the box and Karlie Lema turned on the ball and fired a shot from 12 yards away, but a lunging defender prevented a goal that would've given the Bears a fourth minute lead.
 
After a long period without too many attempts on either side, the Bears took control towards the end of the half. In the 35th minute, Jadyn Shinn hit a wonderful shot from the top of the box that forced a diving save from USF keeper Megan Nail. Two minutes later, Hannah Cooper drove down the right flank and lofted a shot that beat the keeper, but went off the post.
 
Shinn had another opportunity in the 38th minute as Amaya Gray drove down the left flank, turned and laid the ball off to Shinn, who turned to get the ball on her right foot and fired just over.
 
Right after halftime, Jadyn Shinn played a corner kick from the left. Noelle Bond-Flasza headed the ball into the middle and Natalie Hueston got on the end of it, flicking it on to goal and forcing Nail to parry it over the post.
 
In the 58th minute, Lema latched onto a through ball and dribbled around the keeper. However, the recovering USF defender prevented Lema's shot from going in and Abby Borchers just missed converting the rebound.
 
Shinn, who finished the game with four shots, latched onto another in the 64th minute. The senior often found herself in the right positions and she did so again after Cal picked off a USF pass. Bond-Flasza laid it off to Shinn who fired just over the top.
 
Five minutes later Roy took the ball on the left flank, cut onto her right foot and fired a shot at the near post, forcing Nail into a diving stop. Oke got onto the end of Cal's 10th corner kick a few minutes later and hit the post, but the ball bounced away as the game remained scoreless.
 
In the 75th minute, San Francisco scored on their first and only shot on goal of the game. Alex Carpio hit a ball from the top of the box that bounced off the underside of the crossbar and across the line.
 
Roy responded three minutes later on her fifth shot of the game to earn the Bears a tie on the road. Roy was playing against her former team as played her freshman season at USF, and earning All-WCC Freshman team honors before transferring to Cal. Roy has four goals so far this season, although one came in Cal's exhibition contest against the Chinese National Team.
 
The Bears will return home this weekend to take on No. 14 Pepperdine at Edwards Stadium on Sunday. The game will kickoff at 2 p.m. and be streamed on Cal's live stream channel.  
 
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