California Golden Bears Athletics
California
Wake Forest
Cal Hosts No. 3 Wake Forest, Louisville In ACC Homestand
9/14/2026 10:33 AM | Women's Soccer
Bears Welcome Demon Deacons Thursday, Cardinals Sunday
2026 Cal WSOC Match Notes Week 6
After opening ACC play on the road, the Cal women's soccer team returns to Edwards Stadium for its first home conference matches of the season, hosting No. 3 Wake Forest on Thursday and Louisville on Sunday. Cal (2-3-3, 0-1-0 ACC) enters the matches unbeaten at home (2-0-2) this season and will look to continue its success at Edwards Stadium.
The Golden Bears and Demon Deacons last met in 2024 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, playing to a 2-2 draw. Cal erased a 2-0 halftime deficit with a pair of second-half goals, including the equalizer in the 85th minute. Thursday's matchup marks the teams' second meeting as ACC opponents.
Cal last faced Louisville in October 2024, the lone matchup between the Golden Bears and Cardinals. Louisville secured a narrow 2-1 victory after taking an early lead in the 13th minute.
Cal looks to bounce back from its conference opener and carry its home momentum into a pair of ACC matchups at Edwards Stadium.
MATCH INFORMATION
Wake Forest
- Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 17, at 4 p.m. PT
- Location: Berkeley, CA – Edwards Stadium
- Live Stream: ACCNX
- Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Louisville
- Date and Time: Sunday, Sept. 20, at 1 p.m. PT
- Location: Berkeley, CA – Edwards Stadium
- Live Stream: ACCNX
- Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
KLOS SIGNS WITH NEWCASTLE JETS FC
Former Cal midfielder Alex Klos signed her first professional contract with Newcastle Jets FC in Australia, as announced by the club Tuesday. Klos is signed for the 2026-27 Ninja A-League season.
A two-year starter for the Golden Bears and a two-time All-ACC Academic Team member who completed her college career in 2025. During her time at Cal, she appeared in 40 matches and tallied 3,336 minutes played, three goals, five assists and 24 shots.
BEARS DROP ACC OPENER TO TAR HEELS
Cal fell 3-0 against No.7 North Carolina on Thursday evening at Dorrance Field. Fifth-year transfer goalkeeper Isabella Banuelos earned her first start as a Bear, making one save. The Bears responded in the second half, creating two shots and two corner opportunities but were unable to find the back of the net.
CAL BEATS COLUMBIA AT HOME
Cal defeated Columbia 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at home. Reese Doherty opened the scoring in the 16th minute before the Lions tied the match in the second half. Miriam Hils scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute, sending the Bears into ACC play with a 2-2-3 record.
CAL BATTLES TO SCORELESS DRAW AGAINST CAL POLY
The Bears battled Cal Poly to a scoreless draw Thursday evening at Edwards Stadium. Emelia Warta had a penalty kick attempt saved in the 17th minute, while Alyssa Savig came up with a big save just a minute later to keep the Mustangs off the board. Cal finished the matchup with 16 total shots, including three on goal.
CAL EARNS FIRST WIN AGAINST LMU
Cal earned its first win of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating LMU 2-1 at Edwards Stadium. Miriam Hils opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before Elhom Khursand converted a penalty kick in the 72nd minute to secure the victory for the Bears.
TOUGH WCC ROAD TEST
The Golden Bears dropped a pair of 1-0 road matches to WCC opponents Pepperdine and San Diego last week. Cal now returns home looking to bounce back against LMU.
EARLY SEASON IMPACT
Senior forward Soleil Dimry scored Cal's first goal of the 2026 season against Santa Clara, while transfer goalkeeper Alyssa Savig has made an immediate impact between the posts. Cal has seen early contributions on both ends of the field as it continues to build through the opening weeks of the 2026 campaign.
Senior defender Malia McMahon, sophomore defender/midfielder Annamarie Williams and redshirt junior goalkeeper Alyssa Savig are the only Bears to play all 90 minutes in each match this season. McMahon has remained a steady presence on the back line, while Williams, a transfer from Virginia, has started all four matches and made an immediate impact in her first season with the Bears. Savig, a transfer from Stanford, has also provided consistency in goal, totaling nine saves through four matches. The trio looks to continue building on its early-season impact as Cal moves forward in nonconference play.
YEAR 3
Cal enters its third year in the ACC and was picked to finish 10th in the 2026 Preseason ACC Women's Soccer Coaches Poll. The ACC remains among the top conferences in the sport, with nine ACC teams advancing to the second round of the NCAA Championship last year. Cal will look to build on last year's ACC campaign, which featured several strong results against conference opponents.
2025 RECAP
Cal posted an overall record of 8-3-8 and a 4-2-4 mark in ACC play. The Bears finished eighth among 17 teams in the highly competitive ACC, narrowly missing a top-six finish and a spot in the conference tournament.
Cal earned a pair of ranked draws, battling No. 1 Virginia at home and No. 7 Florida State on the road to identical 2-2 results. Florida State went on to win the national championship. Cal recorded eight draws, including several against elite competition, but ultimately finished just outside the field for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Standout performers included forward Lumi Kostmayer, who emerged as the Bears' primary offensive threat and led the team across all major attacking categories. Kostmayer has since continued her career professionally in Denmark. Goalkeeper Teagan Wy anchored Cal defensively, helping the Bears navigate a number of tightly contested matches before signing with Gotham FC in the NWSL.
NEW FACES, FAMILIAR CORE
Cal enters the 2026 season with a mix of experience and new talent, returning 17 members of its 2025 roster - including six regular starters - while welcoming a talented freshman class to Berkeley.
Leading the group of returners is senior forward Soleil Dimry, who led the team with three game-winners and ranked second with four goals. Dimry also scored an 88th-minute equalizer to earn a draw against No. 1 Virginia.
The backline is headlined by a veteran group of Malia McMahon, Reese Doherty and Miriam Hils. McMahon held down the centerback position, logging the sixth most minutes on the team, while adding a pair of goals. She scored a memorable header off a corner kick to seal the win against Santa Clara. Doherty was one of just four Bears to start in all 19 matches last season, contributing heavily on the defensive side while adding two assists. Hils proved to be a versatile contributor, playing virtually every position on the field. She appeared and started in 17 matches, and contributed two assists during the 2025 season.
With an experienced core, returning across the field, the Bears will look to pair that familiarity with a talented group of newcomers as the 2026 season gets underway.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Cal was recognized on the 2025-26 College Team Academic Award Winners List after posting a 3.31 team GPA last season.
STAY POSTED
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