Aug. 26, 2011

Final Stats

LOUISVILLE, KY -

The California Golden Bears opened the 2011 season with a 3-1 victory over the No. 16 Louisville Cardinals in Louisville, Ky. Sophomore forward Andrea Earle had two goals for the Bears.

The Bears struck first, with Earle netting the first goal of the season on a pass from junior Rachelle Comeau on the left side. Earle, who was situated in front of goal, knocked it in for the score.

The Cardinals answered four minutes later, scoring off a penalty corner to knot the game 1-1.

Three minutes into the second half, Cal retook the lead on a goal by senior Erin Magill off a penalty corner. The Bears added another goal off a penalty corner in the 68th minute, with Earle slapping it in to put Cal up 3-0.

Louisville rattled off 18 shots, 14 coming in the first period. Senior Maddie Hand logged five saves in the game.

"I am really impressed with the mental toughness we showed in the game," said head coach Shellie Onstead. "We played in really hot conditions and were a little thin on the bench, but we never let that be a factor. We kept up a great effort in the heat and really kept the pressure on."

"We also took advantage of our corner opportunities, which was great. And it was also great to start off the game with a field goal."

The Bears will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 26, when they take on another top-20 ranked team, No. 13 Michigan State, at 3 p.m. Pacific Time. Game tracker will be available for the game on CalBears.com.