Start as you mean to go on.
Cal (7-0-1, 1-0-0 Pac-12) started its Pac-12 season with a confident performance against Oregon State (7-3-0, 0-1-0 Pac-12) with a 3-1 winning margin that was rarely threatened from kickoff to final whistle.
Within the first two minutes of the game, the Bears were in command, with Stephen Bonomo taking an early strike at goal. This dominance continued throughout the first half as Cal maintained large chunks of possession and constantly looked toward the penalty box.
“I think we played really well in the first half but later on were a little too casual,” said Bonomo, a goal scorer.
The early possession was rewarded with constant shots from the home team, with two of these two shots converted into goals by Bonomo and Omid Jalali, giving Cal a 2-0 lead going into the break.
The second half was started very much in the same fashion as the first — an early break, a great corner from Ryan Neil and a goal off the head of Steven Birnbaum.
Cal stayed in control throughout the game with a confident display in midfield and on the wings to provide a constant offensive threat. Its only lapse in concentration occurred 80 minutes in, with a rare attack from Oregon State leading to a goal for the visiting team.
“We seemed to take our foot off the pedal just a little bit,” said head coach Kevin Grimes.
Ultimately, though, the Bears put in a commanding performance that will be sure to put them in good standing for the rest of their Pac-12 schedule.
Daniella Mogilner covers women’s swim. Contact her at [email protected].