University of San Francisco Athletics

Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO—The Dons came out with some energy early but a relentless attack from No. 11 Cal proved too much as the Golden Bears won 3-0 on Monday night at Negoesco Stadium.
 
"It was a game of two halves," USF head coach Jim Millinder said. "We were all over them in the first half, they couldn't get out of their own end. We didn't finish a couple of chances and we gave up a late goal in the first half and it kind of deflated the kids a bit. The second half it's a different game."
 
USF (5-4-2) nearly got on the board within the first minute. Jessica Nakae had her cross cleared by Cal but it went right to Mackenzie Krieser at the top of the box and her shot went off the top right corner of the goal.
 
Krieser had another near miss in the 10th minute when her header off a cross went just to the right of the goal.
 
Cal (7-0-3) nearly got on the board in the 18th minute when Rachel Mercik got away from Sydnie Telson down the right side and her cross was headed out by Halle Bissin.
 
Cal kept the pressure on the Dons defense but in the 43rd minute Fitzpatrick took a pass from Celeste Martore and danced through the San Francisco defenders to get a shot past a diving Schiffel to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.
 
The Dons have struggled to score goals over the last few weeks and scored two goals over their last six games. Cal outshot San Francisco 24-11 and 17-6 in the second half.
 
"We got to learn from it," Millinder said. "We played very well the first 40 minutes but they got to learn when they get opportunities to stick it in the net."
 
The Bears continued to pressure in San Francisco territory in the second half and found another crease through the defense. In the 52nd minute, Grace Leer scored her first goal of the season off a pass from Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick to give Cal the commanding 2-0 lead.
 
Cal was able to put the Dons away in the 71st minute when Ifeoma Onumonu received a pass from Fitzpatrick behind the Dons' back line and beat Schiffel one-on-one for the goal, putting them up 3-0. It was Onumonu's seventh goal of the season.
 
It is the second consecutive loss for San Francisco and extends the team's winless streak to four. It is also only the second time this season the Dons have allowed more than one goal in a single game.
 
Schiffel finished with a season-high eight saves.
 
Cal goalkeeper Emily Kruger continued her stellar play by picking up five saves and recorded her fourth shutout of the season.
 
San Francisco returns to action on Saturday when it begins West Coast Conference play on the road at Saint Mary's at 1 p.m. The game can be viewed on TheW.tv.
 
Next match
Saturday, Oct. 5
Opponent: Saint Mary's
Location: Moraga, Calif.
Time: 1 p.m.
Coverage: TheW.tv, Live Stats