Cal Takes Down Broncos

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – California women's soccer claimed a 1-0 win over Santa Clara thanks to a goal from Anysa Gray. With the victory, Cal pushed its unbeaten run to six games. The Bears have not lost since their opening match of the season as they continued their good play with a road win on Sunday afternoon at Stevens Stadium.
 
The Bears found the breakthrough in the 29th minute after a nice transition play. Skylar Briggs played the ball out of the defensive end, Ayo Oke collected the ball in midfield and in one motion made a turn to split two defenders and put the Bears on the front foot. She drove into the Santa Clara half and laid the ball off to Karlie Lema. Lema fired from the right side to goalkeeper Marlee Nicolos's right, Nicolos made a diving save, but left a rebound, which Gray tapped home to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.
 
Angelina Anderson recorded her second shutout of the week and third of the season to run her career total to 23 on the back of a great defensive effort. The Bears only surrendered five shots and two shots on goal to the Broncos, neither of which troubled Anderson.
 
The Bears (3-1-3) recorded eight shots, four of which were on target. Santa Clara (2-5-0) was pushing to tie the game in the late stages of the game and collected 13 corner kicks in the process, but the Bears' defense was elite, clearing all of them and only allowing two second-half shots and only one in the final 30 minutes as the Broncos were pressing to tie the game.
 
Cal had the first good opportunity of the game in the opening minutes as the Bears earned a corner kick. The ball was sent into the middle where Jadyn Shinn had a free header, but a Santa Clara player got in the way of Shinn's glancing header to keep the ball out.
 
Cal had another opportunity in the 22nd minute as the ball was played down the right flank after a nice play by Noelle Bond-Flasza. The ball was played into the middle to Keely Roy, but Roy's first shot was blocked, before the second shot went high.
 
After Gray's goal, Hannah Cooper almost added another on a corner attempt in the 42nd minute. Harmon took the corner and had the ball knocked back out to her, she made a nice pass to a streaking Cooper who just missed connecting against the onrushing goalkeeper.
 
Lema had another opportunity in the 65th minute as she collected a loose ball just outside the box and fired a shot that was saved by the keeper into the side netting.
 
The Bears will return to action on Thursday evening as the Bears leave California for the first time this season. Cal will take on UNLV at 6:30 p.m. from Peter Johann Soccer Stadium.
 
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