Sept. 25, 2010

Final Stats

DAVIS - Trailing 3-2 late in regulation, the California field hockey team converted on a penalty corner with 30 seconds remaining to send Saturday's match at UC Davis into overtime. In the first overtime period, the Golden Bears scored the gamewinner on a goal by sophomore Rachelle Comeau to send Cal (5-4, 4-0) back to Berkeley with a 4-3 win. The Bears have now won their last three in a row.

"We kept coming back from behind, and it was so hot and their field is so frustrating," head coach Shellie Onstead said. "I called a timeout when they took the lead with four minutes left to calm them down. It was a gut check for us and I was really proud at the way we responded."

The game-tying score for Cal came on a penalty corner when senior Megan Psyllos passed it in to freshman Shannon Elmitt, who then fed sophomore Claire Dougherty with a nice pass and Dougherty scored.

"I have to give credit to Megan and Shannon for the goal on the penalty corner," Onstead said. "They both made smart decisions to get the ball to Claire, and the whole thing was improvised."

Playing in intense heat, Onstead knew the Bears were going to have to score early in overtime to get the win. After surviving an early penalty corner by the Aggies, Comeau collected the ball and raced down the field. She beat UC Davis' best defender to get into the circle, and then took a shot that got past the Aggie keeper Lauren Sawvelle to send the Bears home happy.

Comeau had a huge day, scoring twice and recording an assist. Her assist came on Cal's first goal of the day, which occurred in the fifth minute. Comeau fed sophomore Megan Shimojima on a two-on-one and Shimojima beat Sawvelle to her left to give Cal an early 1-0 lead.

UC Davis (3-4, 0-3) evened the match at one in the 26th minute. There was no more scoring until five goals were recorded from the 60th minute on. After the Aggies took a 2-1 lead, Comeau recorded her first goal of the day in the 63rd minute when she beat two Aggie defenders and found the back of the left side of the cage.

The Aggies once again took the lead with just four minutes left before Onstead took her timeout and the Bears tied it in the last minute.

Cal earned 14 penalty corners to UC Davis' six. The Aggies outshot the Bears, 16-12.

It doesn't get any easier for Cal next week. The Bears head back to the East Coast to face No. 8 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. PT.