USC AT CAL
FRIDAY, FEB. 14 | 3 P.M. PT | CALIFORNIA MEMORIAL STADIUM | BERKELEY, CALIF.
LIVE STREAM: ACC NETWORK EXTRA | LIVE RESULTS: CALBEARS.COM
 
 
Fresh off a win its season opener for the third straight season, the California lacrosse team opens the home portion of its schedule Friday when it hosts former Pac-12 foe USC at California Memorial Stadium.

The Golden Bears notched a 15-14 road victory at UC Davis last weekend to begin the season, with senior midfielder Kennedy Mason leading the way with six goals. Eight different Cal players scored, with juniors Annette Ciupek and Courtney Wong each contributing a pair of goals.

Friday's game is the beginning of a four-game homestand for the Bears.

 
BEARS AND TROJANS
Cal and USC have met every year since 2013, but Friday will mark the first time as nonconference opponents. The teams were initially conference foes in the MPSF before moving to the Pac-12. Starting this season, the Bears are now members of the ACC while the Trojans have joined the Big Ten. Cal lost a narrow 9-8 decision to USC last season in Los Angeles.

BEARS AT MEMORIAL
Cal plays six home games at California Memorial Stadium this season, and the first four are the next four games on the Bears' schedule. Cal's first ACC game ever is scheduled for Feb. 22 against Louisville. The Bears went 4-5 in Berkeley last season.

CAL GETS BY AGGIES
The Bears won their season opener for the third straight season last week when they topped UC Davis, 15-14. The back-and-forth affair was tied 11-11 midway through the fourth quarter before junior Avery Hoeft gave Cal the lead for good with a goal with 8:53 remaining. The Bears eventually extended their advantage to 15-12 before the Aggies trimmed the deficit back to one goal with 21 seconds remaining.

WELCOME TO THE ACC
The University of California, Berkeley, announced it was moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on Sept. 1, 2023, and became an official member on Aug. 2 of last year. Cal's lacrosse team will play nine regular season ACC contests and the ACC Championship is set for April 23-27 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Eight conference teams are ranked in this week's Inside Lacrosse Top 25.

HEAD COACH JENNIFER WONG
Cal head coach Jennifer Wong is in her third season leading the Bears. Wong was named Cal's new leader of the program on Aug. 30, 2022, after spending 12 years as an assistant and associate head coach at Temple. She also spent one season as the head coach of Immaculata and two years as an assistant coach at Rutgers. Wong also had an earlier stint as a graduate assistant coach at Temple.

 
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