It’s time to get serious.
While the Bears started their season on a strong note, it is their first Pac-12 game Thursday against Oregon State in Berkeley that will define the team as it moves forward.
The start of the Pac-12 signifies the start of the conference season for the Bears as they look to improve on their fourth-place finish last year. Cal enters the Pac-12 in top form, ranking No. 1 in the polls. In order to maintain this position, however, a positive and authoritative start is essential.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s Pac-12, so it’s going to be different than the normal preseason games that we’ve played,” said defender Christian Dean. “It’s probably going to be way more intense.”
The difference in caliber will be substantial now that the formal season has started. The Bears’ upcoming games include a match against No. 3 Washington, another team that has remained unbeaten in the run-up to the conference, and UCLA, the defending champions of the Pac-12 and a team ranked within the top 10. Although the Bears have played well up to this point, they will need to step up their game to compete with these top teams if they have real aspirations to win the league this year.
Head coach Kevin Grimes is confident, however, in the preparation Cal has had in the run-up to the conference.
“I think, in general, they’re going to be around the same — that’s why we play a tough nonconference schedule,” Grimes said.
This week will be a busy one for Cal (6-0-1) as it takes on the Oregon State Beavers (7-2-0) on Thursday and then look to play No. 3 Washington (5-0-2), the runners-up in the last year’s Pac-12 Conference, on Sunday.
Cal’s opposition on Thursday, although unranked, has clearly shown its strength this season. With only two losses — both away from home, and high-scoring wins — this will be a tough team to beat.
In comparison, Cal has scored relatively lower this season and thus needs to look out for the Beavers’ threatening offense. Oregon has scored a total of 19 goals — compared to the Bears’ 14 — and has a higher goals-per-game average: 2.11 versus Cal’s 2.0.
“Oregon State certainly has a good attack,” Grimes said. “They’ve scored a lot of goals this year, so we know they have a lot of players capable of finishing.”
The last time these two teams met face to face, Cal came away with a win that was achieved within the first two minutes. An early strike from Alex Sundly was saved by the goalkeeper — only to be tapped in by John Fitzpatrick on the rebound. The defense held strong for the next 88 minutes, and Cal came out on top.
A look toward Cal’s upcoming match against Washington on Sunday will also affect the way the team aims to play. After last week’s late winner against Santa Clara, the prospect of another overtime game is a concern for the Bears, who will want to preserve any energy they can for what is arguably the more important game of the week.
Daniella Mogilner covers men’s soccer. Contact her at [email protected].