Zero to hero.
Over the weekend, Cal achieved something it had never achieved it all of its 107-year history, a No.1 ranking in three major polls. The achievement is even more impressive considering that last year, the squad failed to make the rankings at all.
“It’s a great honor for our team,” said Steven Birnbaum, a defender and the top goal-scorer for Cal.
This accolade has brought with it a strong sense of expectation and new demands for this high-flying team. Will the Bears maintain their winning ways in this high-pressure environment, or will they crack?
But head coach Kevin Grimes is not worried. He maintains that Cal has always been under pressure to perform.
“Cal’s always going to have people coming after them, and that wouldn’t matter whether you were ranked No. 1 or No. 100,” Grimes said.
The players, too, are not focusing on the ranking.
“The rankings really don’t matter at this point, because every game is up in the air,” said defender Dylan Serrano.
Cal’s opponent this week is Santa Clara, a team that, although unranked, should not be underestimated. After starting slow with four consecutive losses, Santa Clara has won three games on the trot, clinching the last two victories in the closing minutes — a potential sign of danger for the Bears, who seemed to switch off in the second half of their victory last week.
For Grimes, however, this is not a major threat.
“We’ve also scored ourselves at the end of the game,” Grimes said. “I doubt their plan is to score late to win a game.”
The last time these two teams met, the score was close, with a difference of one goal. Cal clinched the win despite a late goal by Glenn Vass that brought the Broncos back into the game mere seconds after Tony Salciccia’s successful penalty. The final score was 2-1, with Alex Sundly’s goal in the first half making the difference.
“It’s going to be a battle,” Birnbaum said. “We’re glad we’re at home.”
Santa Clara’s relative success on the road may invalidate this home advantage, however, and the Bears need to maintain their composure against this threatening team. The Broncos’ losses, with one exception, have all been within one goal in relatively low-scoring games — a worry for a Cal team that has had trouble finishing.
“They have a solid, scrappy defense, so they’re definitely going to make it a good game,” Serrano said.
The match is also important when looking to the future. Cal plays its first Pac-12 Conference game against Oregon next week, and a strong performance Friday could set the tone for the Bears’ season.
“Every game is a building block, but we just try to take it one game at a time and focus on the next step to getting where we want to be,” Serrano said.
With the threat the Broncos pose in the closing stages, the Bears need to control the game from start to finish. With this in mind, they ought to maintain their unbeaten record and remain at the top of the table.