FRIDAY, OCT. 18
CAL (6-5) AT INDIANA (6-6) | 9 A.M. PT | DEBORAH TOBIAS FIELD | BLOOMINGTON, IN
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE | LIVE STATS: CLICK HERE
 
SUNDAY, OCT. 20
CAL AT NO. 17 IOWA (6-6) | 10 A.M. PT | GRANT FIELD | IOWA CITY, IA
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE | LIVE STATS: CLICK HERE
 
The California field hockey team will complete its season-long four-game road slate with a pair of nonconference opponents – Indiana on Friday and No. 17 Iowa on Sunday. The matchup against the Hawkeyes will mark the Golden Bears' fifth ranked opponent in the last six outings. Coverage for both games will be available via live stream and live stats.
 
After holding steady in this week's Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches Poll, the No. 18 Bears will look to bounce back this week and snap their four-game losing streak beginning on Friday against the Hoosiers in Bloomington, Indiana.
 
As a team, the Bears rank seventh in the nation in defensive saves (7), ninth in assists per game (2.67) and 18th in scoring average (2.61).
 
GOING FOR 300
Donna Fong Director of Field Hockey Shellie Onstead is on the brink of a career milestone. Cal's next win would be the 300th of her career.
 
ABOUT THE HOOSIERS
Indiana will enter Friday's matchup with an overall record of 6-6 (2-3 Big Ten) after winning its last three games against Rutgers (4-3) in overtime, then-No. 12 Iowa (2-1) in double overtime and Monmouth (4-0). It will be the 12th all-time between the two teams as the Hoosiers hold the slight advantage in the series (6-5). It will be the first meeting since Sept. 4, 2022, when Indiana topped Cal 3-2 in overtime.
 
ABOUT THE HAWKEYES
No. 17 Iowa currently sits at 6-6 (1-4 Big Ten) on the season after dropping its last three outings. Prior to its three-game skid, the Hawkeyes defeated then-No. 17 Penn State (1-0). Iowa will take on UC Davis on Friday before Sunday's matchup. It will be the 15th meeting between Cal and Iowa, as the Hawkeyes hold the advantage (13-1) and have won the previous six matchups. It will be the first meeting since Sept. 13, 2019, when Iowa secured the 4-2 victory.

LAST TIME OUT
Cal fell in overtime against then-No. 14 Syracuse (2-1) at J.S Coyne Stadium in Syracuse, New York. After an aggressive start, the Bears scored the opening goal late in the first period. Junior Olivia Sharratt found the back of the net off an assist from senior Sydney Decher to take the 1-0 advantage. The Orange scored the equalizing goal right before the halfway mark. Both teams went scoreless in the second half after an impressive defensive performance. Cal had the opportunity to seal the game after earning a penalty corner 40 seconds into overtime. The Orange managed to fend off the Bears' only shot attempt in the frame, as Syracuse went on to score the game-winning goal at the 62-minute mark.

2023 RECAP
The Bears made sure their final year in the America East Conference was a memorable one, winning the AE Tournament title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years. Cal gave an indication of what type of season it might be early on when it knocked off No. 5 Penn State in the fourth game of the year.
 
The Bears finished in fourth place in the America East standings and then had a thrilling run to the AE Tournament title, winning all three of their games by one goal - including the final two in overtime. They knocked off top-seeded UMass-Lowell in the semifinals before ousting No. 2 Albany for the championship.
 
After the season, graduate student Daniella Rhodes was named to the NFHCA All-West Region First Team while fellow grad transfer Bente Baekers and senior Kiki de Bruijne garnered second-team accolades. It marked just the third time in program history the Bears have had three players earn all-region honors in the same season.
 
WELCOME TO THE ACC
The University of California, Berkeley, announced last Sept. 1 that its athletic department was joining the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. With that, the Bears joined arguably the top field hockey conference in the country. North Carolina has won five of the past six NCAA championships, and seven ACC teams are ranked in the NFHCA preseason poll. Cal played its first ACC game ever when it visited No. 3 Virginia on Sept. 20.
 
THE NEWCOMERS
The Bears welcome 10 new players to this year's roster, including two international graduate transfers who are making their NCAA debuts. Noemie Mekki (Paris) and Canisha van Duyn (Emmen, Netherlands) are playing their first collegiate seasons after accomplished club and international careers. Mekki was the captain of France's U21 national team last summer.  Another graduate transfer from The Netherlands - Carmel van Dijk - spent her undergraduate career at Fairfield and was an All-NEC Second-Team selection last season.
 
RETURNING EXPERIENCE
Despite the loss of several key players from last year's America East championship team, the Bears still have a hefty dose of experience with seniors Sophie Everett and Sydney Decher, junior goalkeeper Tina Jolly and sophomores Holly Pears and Anjana Pioch. Pears is Cal's returning leading pointscorer with five goals and two assists last season while Pioch had the most starts of any returning field player with 16 last year. Jolly started every game in goal for the Bears last year while Everett and Dechar combined for 21 starts.
 
30 FOR ONSTEAD
Shellie Onstead is in her 30th season as the Donna Fong Director of Field Hockey. Onstead has a career record of 299-235 and has guided the Bears to 12 conference championships. She is a six-time NorPac Coach of the Year and has led Cal to six NCAA Tournament appearances. Onstead served as an assistant coach for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and was inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982. Onstead played at Cal from 1980-82 and was the program's first All-America player.