Kevin Foote/File

Editor’s Note: Over summer, the Daily Californian will be releasing its power rankings of Cal’s sports as decided by the Daily Cal sports staff. Stay tuned for No. 8 and No. 7 next week!

No matter how close you were, failure to meet your goals can only mean you came up short.

After this season, Cal women’s soccer learned that lesson firsthand.

The Bears have been stuck in the same situation for the past two years, unable to advance past the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Cal found itself frozen once again.

Although Cal had one of its most prolific regular seasons of recent memory, the Bears’ inability to advance past the second round of the NCAAs for the third year in a row makes its place in the power rankings an easy decision. To reinforce the decision, Cal ended its season in third place in the conference with a 16-6 record — behind UCLA and the Pac-12 leader, Stanford.

Playing in a win-or-go-home situation, San Diego State dropped Cal in the rankings and ruined the goal that it had been working so hard toward during the season.

After what looked like Cal’s opportunity to go to the third round of the NCAAs in a long time, the Aztecs scored a quick goal in the opening minutes of the second half and then a dagger in the closing minutes.

And with that closing goal, Cal’s season was over.

That goal put away any chance the Bears had at placing in the top spots in our power ranking.

The most disappointing point of this list for Cal is how close it came to being ranked three or four spots higher. Though the Bears still managed to crack the top 10, this place should be a letdown for a team full of so much promise.

This group had the ingredients to success written all over it: a posse of savvy seniors to lead the team, a strong freshman class — spearheaded by Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Ifeoma Onumonu — as well as a world class coach, Neil McGuire.

The Bears had one of their best regular seasons in their recent history with an eight-game win streak, only one road loss and a ranking of No. 10 to finish the season. Cal was one of the most formidable teams in the country, but at the end, they just didn’t have much to show for it.

Next year, though, the squad’s future is extremely uncertain. With the loss of four seniors, including Olympian Betsy Hassett, the Bears will lose a substantial amount of leadership as well as the seniors’ finesse and experience.

On the bright side, Cal is ushering in a new era of players. Onumonu was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and led the Bears with an impressive 11 goals — five more than Hassett, who was Cal’s next leading scorer. Whether or not next year’s team will surpass the current one will rest on Onumonu’s shoulders, as she is the future leader of this team.

The question next year will be whether Cal underclassmen can finally be the ones who step up and break through that second-round playoff barrier. If the younger players can accomplish the goal left behind for them, the future of the Bears will be bright.

Contact Johnny Zhang at jzhang@dailycal.org Follow him on Twitter @thejohnnyzhang.

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Kevin Foote/File

At the beginning of the season, midfielder Betsy Hassett declared two goals for the season: to win the Pac-12 and to advance past the second round in the NCAA tournament.

The Cal women’s soccer team couldn’t achieve either of Hassett’s goals.

The Bears’ 16-6 season landed them directly behind the No. 2 Bruins and the No. 1 Cardinal in the conference standings.

The squad made the NCAA tournament but was eliminated by two-seed San Diego State after again advancing only to the second round.

“We think we could have made it to the third round at least,” Hassett said. “We’ve made the second round the last two years so my goal was to get to the third.”

Though the season’s outcome seems mediocre in terms of the Bears’ preseason goals, the year was largely a success for Cal.

After a strong run in conference play, the Bears earned a postseason berth. The squad beat a formidable Pepperdine team on the road before advancing to play the Aztecs.

“We did not have an easy road,” said head coach Neil McGuire. “We went into the game confident, but unfortunately we were not able to put that match away.

“We are disappointed we lost because we felt like we had an opportunity to go further in tournament.”

Despite another premature elimination from the tournament, No. 13 Cal displayed itself to be one of the most dangerous squads in the country.

The squad ranked as high as No. 10 heading into the end of the regular season, accruing an eight-game winning streak and lost only one road game.

“We played some tremendous soccer,” McGuire said. “We showed consistency with our play, and our players were really motivated and worked really well together.”

The Bears demonstrated their tenacity and teamwork in the regular-season closer against No. 1 Stanford. Pac-12 champions Stanford scored within the first four minutes of the game, but the Bears took the offensive and forced the Cardinal to defend its lead nonstop through the rest of regulation. Though Cal lost the match, the squad served as the biggest threat to the Cardinal’s formidable record.

“Our team’s resolve and commitment to get back in the game was inspiring,” McGuire said. “We were able to hold Stanford to one goal and we showed ourselves to be very competitive with, arguably, the best team in the country.”

With this season behind them, the Bears are focused on sending their seniors off and ushering in the next generation of Bears. Cal will lose four seniors this year, including the Olympian Hassett and key offensive players Samantha Walker and Lauren Battung.

Despite the loss in firepower, the Bears already have rising stars filling the void. Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Ifeoma Onumonu proved herself to be a prolific goalscorer, leading the Bears with 11 goals.

“Every graduating class has people we are sad to let go, but that leaves space for people to step up,” McGuire said. “You can never replace what you lost, but you can bring in players who can do a similar job.”

With another successful season in the books, the Bears will continue to march toward the ultimate goal that eluded them yet again this year: winning the national championships.

To do so, the squad will have to achieve Hassett’s second goal of advancing farther in the tournament.

“This program has always been successful and highly competitive on the national scale, and next year will be another step in the right direction,” McGuire said. “The goal is to win national championship and the players are very committed and motivated to do that.”

Taylor Brink covers women’s soccer. Contact her at tbrink@dailycal.org

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The Cal women’s soccer team (16-6) held onto an early lead through the opening half of the match against two-seed San Diego State, but the second half of Friday evening’s game saw the Aztecs eventually clinch the game, 2-1, in the closing minutes at the SDSU Sports Deck. The loss ended the Bears’ season.

“There’s no doubt that this is one of the most impressive seasons I’ve been a part of at Cal, and I felt the team deserved an opportunity to go further,” head coach Neil McGuire said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t execute well enough to do that.”

Cal took the early lead when a ball was played to Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Ifeoma Onumonu down the right side. Onumonu rounded the corner and beat her defender, then served the ball into the box.

After junior forward Rachel Mercik redirected the cross, Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick slotted it past San Diego State goalkeeper Rachel Boaz.

The Bears took the 1-0 lead in the 12th minute and maintained the advantage through the remainder of the first half.

Yet the tide turned in the 53rd minute when Aztec forward Hannah Keane ran onto a long ball, dribbled into the box and fired a shot into the far corner of the goal to tie the game, 1-1.

“We came out in the first half and scored a very good goal,” McGuire said. “In the second half, they scored a quick early goal that put us on our heels.”

Cal had been carrying the momentum, but the tying goal shifted it to San Diego State. The Aztecs were the aggressors in the second half, while the Bears resorted to defending their goal.

“When we were a goal up the crowd was not energetic but more subdued,” McGuire said. “The energy on their side when they scored their goal shifted.”

Despite the momentum shift, the game remained a tie until the closing minutes. Both teams created scoring chances, though the Bears’ offense noticeably lacked the controlled footwork and leadership of senior Lauren Battung, who was sidelined due to an injury.

At the other end of the field, the Aztecs continued to barrage Cal’s defense as both teams fought for the go-ahead goal.

“They are very fast, very aggressive, and they play a style that forced that ball at our defensive line, giving them opportunities on goal,” said McGuire.

With seven minutes left in regulation, San Diego State succeeded in breaking the stalemate. The Aztecs’ Tiffany Hurst sent a 20-yard shot soaring just inside the left post and just past the outstretched fingers of Cal goalkeeper Emily Kruger.

The goal put the Aztecs up, 2-1 with a mere minutes left on the clock.

“When you get to this stage in the tournament, you are always going to play good teams and it comes down to critical moments,” McGuire said. “I felt like we were playing well enough to advance further in the tournament.

“We had opportunities and we didn’t take them. San Diego State took theirs.”

Taylor Brink covers women’s soccer. Contact her at tbrink@dailycal.org

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Kevin Foote/File

With a trip to the elite round of 16 on the line, the Bears will look to upset the Aztecs in a high-stakes game.

Cal women’s soccer will face San Diego State on Friday in second-round play of the NCAA tournament. The No. 17 Bears (16-5) and the No. 4 Aztecs (20-1-1) will kick off at 7 p.m. at the SDSU Sports Deck.

Cal enters as a decisive underdog against two-seed San Diego State. The Aztecs have only lost one match all season and won the Mountain West conference championship. Despite these factors, the Bears maintain their confidence heading into the matchup. In fact, they relish their status as the underdog.

“(San Diego State has) higher expectations on them,” Cal head coach Neil McGuire said.“Our players can play free and not worry about expectations.”

The Bears are also comfortable in their position as the visiting team. The squad excels on the road and has only lost one road game all year to then-No. 2 UCLA.

Cal enters the San Diego State matchup fueled by another road win against No. 22 Pepperdine in one of the most competitive opening round games in the tournament. Cal scored the game-winning goal with three minutes left in regulation to move past the Waves.

“That was definitely a boost for our morale,” Cal goalkeeper Emily Kruger said. “We have full belief we can get a W.”

Though the Bears will enter the game with high spirits, they will find a formidable opponent in the Aztecs. The team often generates offense by sending  its outside defenders up the flanks, and defender Tiffany Hurst is one of the top three scorers on the team.

However, the Bears can also look to exploit this tactic by taking advantage of resulting mismatches and fatigue.

“Both teams are clearly good enough to win this match,” said McGuire. “It will come down to critical moments and who can handle pressure in front of the goal.”

Cal will look to counter these strengths by sticking to its trademark method of play. The team favors slotting quick through balls up to forwards and outside midfielders in order to get behind the defense.

The Bears’ offense will have to execute these tactics well, as San Diego State’s defense is one of the most esteemed in the nation.

“At this point in the season, it is just about doing what we have established and has been working well for us,” said Kruger. “If we just bring it like we did throughout the season we know we can win.”

For offensive chances, Cal will likely look for freshman forward Ifeoma Onumonu, who continues to lead the Bears in goals with 11 and was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

Both teams boast sturdy defenses and explosive offenses, and the matchup pits the two each other with the postseason on the line in what promises to be one of the titanic games of the season.

“I think it comes down to mentality and attitude,” said Kruger. “And if we play with heart down to the 90th minute, whoever can bring the refuse-to-lose mentality will come out on top.”

Taylor Brink covers women’s soccer. Contact her at tbrink@dailycal.org

The post Cal faces San Diego State in second round of NCAAs appeared first on The Daily Californian.

For the Cal women’s soccer team, that split second came in the 87th minute of its first round match of the NCAA tournament against Pepperdine at the Tari Frahm Rokus Field in Malibu, Calif.

The No. 23 Bears and the No. 22 Waves battled to a stalemate until less than three minutes left on the clock, when senior Lauren Battung crossed the ball into the box. The cross was nearly cleared by a Pepperdine defender, but the scramble in the box saw the ball fall to Cal midfielder Ariana Martinez.

“I made sure I got contact on ball and it went into the back of the net,” Martinez said. “We were fighting so hard and I did not want to go into overtime.”

Martinez drove the ball from the near post into the far corner of the net from eight yards out on a half-volley. That goal gave Cal (16-5) the 1-0 victory over Pepperdine (14-7) and sent the team into the second round of the tournament.

“We were hopeful we would find a way to score because we did have a lot of opportunities, but Pepperdine did a good job of preventing us from getting clean looks at goal,” Cal coach Neil McGuire said. “When Ariana scored it was a great relief.”

The Bears travelled to Malibu for a windswept postseason tilt. Before the match, the team did not forecast the impediments that Mother Nature would impose.

“We felt Pepperdine stared faster than we did and had wind behind them in first half,” said Cal head coach Neil McGuire. “Our team did very nice job defending against the wind.”

Wind was a major factor in the game and helped each team gain the advantage in the tale of two halves. The Waves notched five corner kicks and six shots in the first half; Cal had no corner kicks and five shots.

The weathervane changed in the second half toward Cal’s direction, as the Bears used the blustering wind to their advantage, recording eight shots and four corners. Pepperdine recorded two shots and no corner kicks.

“They had the wind in the first half, which allowed them to be the aggressor,” McGuire said. “They had the majority of chances in the first half, but we controlled much of the game in the second half.”

Pepperdine’s closest chance came within a minute and half after kickoff. The Waves’ Anisa Guajardo sent a header wheeling toward the net before defender Amanda Glass cleared it with her head from the goal line.

At halftime, the Bears felt the pressure and made some adjustments to get the win. The squad emphasized distributing the ball to the flanks more often and capitalizing on crosses and corner kicks. The team became the aggressor and played the midfielders in attacking positions.

That strategy soon resulted in the game-winning goal.

“They worked tirelessly all season, so to see them go up with four minutes left was exciting,” McGuire said. “Our team controlled the last few minutes very well and denied Pepperdine goal scoring opportunities.”

With the win, the Bears will play the No. 2 seed San Diego State on Friday.

Taylor Brink covers women’s soccer. Contact her at tbrink@dailycal.org

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Though the No. 23 Cal women’s soccer team was expected to host its first round game of the NCAA tournament, the team instead travels to Malibu, Calif. to face No. 22 Pepperdine on Saturday at Tari Frahm Rokus Field. The Bears (15-5-0) may have preferred to have home-field advantage but being away at Pepperdine (14-6-0) for the 1 p.m. match may not be such a bad scenario for the Bears.

“Obviously we think we did enough to host, but the NCAA felt that that wasn’t the case so we are on the road against Pepperdine,” Cal coach Neil McGuire said.

Cal lost only one road game all season to No. 2 UCLA two weeks ago. The Bears hope to continue this road success by sticking to their style, which consists of making crisp passes through the midfield and finding the forwards on through balls and crosses from the corners. The players’ primary focus is on not letting the environment dictate how they handle the game.

“Playing our game and possessing the ball is our main priority,” midfielder Betsy Hassett said. “As long as we have the ball we can move it around and control the game.”

Despite the team’s confidence heading to Malibu, the Bears and the Waves look to be evenly matched. The two teams sit right next to each other in national rankings, and both teams finished third in their respective conferences.

However, the Pac-12 is much more competitive than the West Coast Conference. It boasts the top two teams in the nation and tallies six postseason berths, in contrast to the WCC’s four.

“(Pepperdine is) a very talented team… so this is going to be a tough test for us but one we are excited to do,” said McGuire.

The Bears enter the match with a key weapon in freshman standout Ifeoma Onumonu. Onumonu led Cal in goals scored in the regular season and was awarded the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

With Onumonu leading the offensive line, the Bears head into Saturday focused on controlling the game with their own style of play.

“Of course, there are times you want to think about how you can exploit the other team,”said senior forward Lauren Battung.  “We perform at our best when we prepare ourselves rather than focus on who we are playing.”

The Bears carry a renewed self-confidence. Cal ended the regular season with a strong game against No. 1 Stanford. Though the Cardinal eked out a 1-0 victory, the Bears dominated the game, proving they have what it takes to compete with the best team in the country.

“We had a good game against Stanford last week, and we feel like we can beat any team,” said Hassett. “We feel confident we can win this weekend.”

The tournament is a beast of its own, full of potential surprises and upsets. The Bears hope to move past the Waves and gain footing in the greater battle ahead.

“Playoffs are another part of your season,” said Battung. “It is like a new start.”

Taylor Brink covers women’s soccer. Contact her at tbrink@dailycal.org

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Andrew Kuo/File

On Monday afternoon, the Cal women’s soccer team gathered in the Simpson High Performance Center to view the NCAA women’s soccer tournament selection show. The players anxiously waited to hear Cal called.

When that happened, there was a short burst of applause. But then came a  few gasps of disbelief as the reality of the selection set in.

The Bears made the tournament — that was never in question — but will not have the benefit of home-field advantage in the first round of the tournament. Instead, the Bears will face No. 22 Pepperdine (14-6, 5-3 WCC) on the road.

“There were some gasps in the room that we are not hosting, which we are surprised and not exactly happy about,” said senior Lauren Battung. “But you can’t have everything go your way, and we will be prepared to face Pepperdine.”

Cal wrapped up a largely successful season on Sunday with a home loss to No. 1 Stanford. Cal went 15-5 overall and 8-3 in Pac-12 play, at one point racking up an eight-match winning streak. Two of the Bears’ conference losses were to the nation’s top two teams, Stanford and No. 2 UCLA.

The third loss was a significant red mark on its record as the team dropped the conference opener to unranked Arizona. The only other loss to an unranked team was against Nevada. Aside from the two No. 23 Bears have played well, ranking as high as No. 12.

“It is always a privilege to make the NCAA tournament, and I think our players have earned the right to be in the tournament,” said coach Neil McGuire.

Though the squad is disappointed to not be hosting, the Bears should still be in good shape against the Waves. Cal has lost only one game on the road all season to the Bruins.

“The team has been very successful this year on the road, and it is a team that no matter where they are playing they have the same mentality,” McGuire said. “They just want to play their best soccer and they are up for any challenge.

Should the Bears advance past Pepperdine, possible future opponents include Santa Clara, UCLA and Stanford. These three teams are responsible for three of the Bears’ five total losses, giving the Bears a tough road to navigate.

However, at this point the team is focused on overcoming its first obstacle and getting out of the first round by beating the Waves on Saturday.

“If you are not one of the top three or four seeds you never get an easy road in the NCAA tournament and we didn’t expect one,” McGuire said.  “The girls have played well all year … So that’s all you can really want at the end of the year.”

Taylor Brink covers women’s soccer. Contact her at tbrink@dailycal.org

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Kevin Foote/File

As the clock wound down in the second half, ticking away crucial seconds that Cal needed to score an equalizer, midfielder Ariana Martinez knew that her team needed a goal.

Martinez slotted a ball through the Stanford defensive line for forward Ifeoma Onumonu to run. Onumonu cut around the Cardinal goalkeeper and ripped a long shot from the right side of the box, which soared toward an open goal.

The ball ricocheted off the crossbar and deflected out of bounds.

Such chances defined the No. 13 Cal women’s soccer team’s matchup against No. 1 Stanford on Sunday afternoon at Edwards Stadium.

The Bears (15-5-0, 8-3-0 Pac-12) fell behind early but maintained offensive dominance against the Cardinal (17-1-1, 11-0). None of the chances translated into goals, and the Bears fell 1-0.

The match wrapped up conference play, and Stanford emerged with a perfect conference record and the Pac-12 title.

“It is devastating,” said Cal goalkeeper Emily Kruger. “When you are so close and all you need is that goal and you just can’t put it in the back of the net it is really unfortunate.”

The Bears played most of the game from behind after the Cardinal scored just three minutes into the game. Stanford’s Chioma Ubogagu took the ball up the flank and crossed it into Courtney Verloo at the top of the box.

“She literally hit a volley up into the roof of the goal,” said Kruger. “I couldn’t even see it, it came so fast.”

With eight minutes left in the first half, Cal midfielder Grace Leer got the ball at the top of the Stanford box, split two defenders and fired a shot on goal. The ball hit the crossbar.

The Bears came out with that same fire in the second half, fighting tooth and nail for a goal to tie the game.

“We showed character through the rest of the game, especially in the last half we were taking it to them and clearly the better team,” said senior forward Lauren Battung.

Midway through the second half, Onumonu had another near-goal when a cross came in from the left side to Onumonu on the right. She ripped another shot, but sent it sailing just wide.

“It is always tough when you see your team hit the post three times on clear breakaways and clear numbers-up situations,” Battung said. “Sometimes teams just need luck, and we just didn’t get that luck today.”

Later in the half, the Bears earned three corner kicks in a row, all of which resulted in a near goal. The final of the three resulted in the closest chance, when forward Rachel Mercik’s header fell wide.

“We had chance after chance and we were unlucky,” said Kruger. “We were doing everything we could and they were just throwing their bodies in front of the ball.”

Stanford earned an automatic bid and the Bears have likely earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. The selection show will air on Monday afternoon.

“That was by far one of the most exciting games we’ve had,” said Kruger. “They brought it, we brought it, it was exactly what I would have hoped, except we would have liked to get the win.”

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Kevin Foote/File

The defending national champions and unanimous No. 1 team in the nation. A spotless conference record this season with victories against the No. 2 and 3 teams in the nation.

That’s what the Cal women’s soccer team faces on Sunday against its indomitable rival Stanford at Edwards Stadium.

But despite the accolades their opponent owns, the Bears are focused solely on their performance in their regular-season finale.

“It’s really about how well we play, not who we’re playing,” says Cal head coach Neil McGuire.

No. 23 Cal (15-4, 8-2 in Pac-12) has been playing at a high level this season and could potentially upset the Cardinal. Despite a 3-0 setback against No. 2 UCLA last weekend, the Bears have won nine of their last 10 matches, most recently a 1-0 victory against USC following the UCLA match.

They have outscored their opponents 22-7 in the victories and 43-20 over the entire season.

But Stanford will be Cal’s toughest challenge all year, even more so than UCLA.

“We will be able to see what our weaknesses are as well as our strengths,” says McGuire.

As for the Cardinal, they also traveled to Southern California last weekend where they defeated the Bruins 2-1 and the Trojans 1-0 in double overtime.

But Stanford (16-1-1, 10-0) isn’t blowing away its opponents this year. Six of its ten Pac-12 matches have been won by a single goal, unlike last season where it won conference matches to the tune of 7-0 and 4-0.

Rather, the Cardinal have been a more calculating and methodical team this season. They have been stout on defense, giving up more than one goal only twice in 18 matches.

In addition, two of Stanford’s top three goal scorers, Courtney Verloo and Alina Garciamendez with six goals apiece, are actually defenders, showing the team’s propensity for set pieces where defenders often move into the box.

The Cardinal have been impressive and dominant, but they just haven’t been on quite the same level as last year when they romped to the NCAA title, outscoring their opponents 13-1 in the tournament.

That leaves an opening for Cal’s offense, which has been led up front all season by freshman phenom Ifeoma Onumonu, who leads the teams with 11 goals and five assists.

The rest of the lineup has also been a big contributor to Cal’s attack. Midfielder Betsy Hassett has helped steer the team up front with six goals and five assists while also controlling the center of the field. She has been aided by junior midfielder Kaitlyn Fitzpatrick, who has four goals and three assists.

If Onumonu and company can break through for a score like they have so many times already, and the back line holds up like it has all year, the Bears should be right there with the Cardinal.

After all, it is a rivalry, and in rivalries, anything can happen.

“The players really look forward to this game,” McGuire said. “It’s the biggest game of the year.”

Eric Riehl covers men’s soccer. Contact him at eriehl@dailycal.org

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Ashley Chen/Senior Staff

Ifeoma Onumonu never imagined she would be a Bear.

Cal women’s soccer coach Neil McGuire had a different vision.

With a consistently successful program under his direction, McGuire generally had his pick of some of the nation’s top players when recruiting.

He was at a major recruiting event when the strong, speedy Onumonu caught his eye.

“She was hard to miss because of the things she does on the soccer field,” says McGuire.

But the high school junior’s attention was  more focused on schools like Stanford, Washington and USC than on Cal.  She visited the other campuses and met with the coaches with the aim of choosing one of those programs for the next stage of her career.

Yet she found disappointment wherever she traveled, as  each of her prospective schools failed to live up to her expectations. The campuses did not feel like home, and when she talked to the coaches, they were not the right fit. These letdowns influenced her to finally open her mind to other schools — schools like Cal.

After struggling to feel secure with the other coaches, Onumonu finally found what seemed like a perfect fit in McGuire. Onumonu committed to Cal in the summer after her junior year of high school, having never seen the campus or met the team.

Something about simply speaking with McGuire over the phone gave Onumonu a greater sense of security and optimism than did any of her in-person visits with the other schools.

“When I talked to Neil, he made me feel a lot better,” says Onumonu. “He was nice and supportive and he gave me courage.”

The teenager staked her entire future on a gut instinct, a feeling that the  coach on the other end of the line was somehow the perfect match for her.

McGuire won a power forward with immense athleticism and an eagerness to learn in the bargain. Onumonu stands at 5-foot-10 and is a unique blend of quickness, agility and muscle. The forward can overpower defenders with her strength, beat them with her footwork and burn them with her speed.

Yet despite her clear physical advantages, Onumonu has often struggled with her own confidence.

In high school, her athletic gifts would get her past opponents, but her insecurity would prevent her from finishing the job. She prefers scenarios in which she is swarmed by defenders in front of the net than being alone before an open goal — then, at least she has an excuse if she misses.

She thrives on a greater physical presence because it relieves the emotional pressure of her own self-doubt.

Since coming to Cal, she feels more like a goal scorer than simply a player who creates offensive opportunities.

“I’ve been known for getting there but not scoring, but now I am getting there and putting it in,” says Onumonu.

She credits working with McGuire for that change. He has helped her gain better ball control and taught her how to find the net when she is in a position to score.

But beyond the technical improvements, he has helped her to establish faith in her own abilities. His confidence in her has helped her to believe more in herself.

“It surprises me how much confidence the coaches have in me,” says Onumonu. “They probably see something in me that can bring something to the team that was missing in past years.”

It is no longer just the coaches who see Onumonu’s promise.  Onumonu has skyrocketed into the elite ranks of collegiate soccer and drawn attention on the national stage.

She scored the first goal of her Cal career in the second game of the season and has lit up the scoreboard since.

As a freshman on a squad that features scorers like seniors Betsy Hassett and Lauren Battung, Onumonu has five more goals than the next-leading scorer on the team. With one game left before postseason play, she has already matched the top scorer from last year’s squad, Katie Benz.

“Ifeoma’s athletic ability and her ability to get into dangerous spaces on the field is something that is hard to find, and she is a natural goal scorer, which is equally hard to find,” says McGuire.

McGuire always knew he had a burgeoning talent, but he did not anticipate Onumonu’s instant rise to stardom. He expected her to eventually find this level of success, but it is rare for someone so young to adjust so quickly to the collegiate pace and rise to the upper echelons of Division-I soccer. Her 11 goals thus far rank as second highest in the Pac-12, only one behind UCLA senior Zakiya Bywaters.

“She has proved to be very difficult to mark and very elusive,” says McGuire. “We found that most teams don’t have the speed to keep up with her. And obviously her composure in front of goal is a huge asset.”

While Onumonu’s success did not shock her coach, her new role as the Bears’ offensive point-person has rattled her. Though her dominant demeanor on  the field reveals nothing of these internal doubts, she continues to struggle with her own confidence in spite of her success in front of the goal.

“People depending on me scares me,” says Onumonu. “It feels good to be a part of the team and making my mark, but anytime I enter the field I feel like I have to score, and if I don’t score I’m letting someone down.”

Onumonu is learning to manage her insecurity and she is building her self-confidence, but it is an ongoing process. She has figured out how to put her doubts behind her while playing, and that breakthrough has morphed her into one of the fiercest players on  the pitch.

She is constantly darting after long passes and muscling her way around defenders in order to create goal-scoring opportunities. She leads the Bears in both shots and assists and is the most dominant offensive presence in the Bears’ arsenal.

“She’s really laid back off the field, and she has a big smile and a fun personality,” says McGuire. “On the field between the lines, she really is a warrior and she works tirelessly for her teammates, willing to put her body in harm’s way in order to get a goal.”

Much of her personal development traces back to the strong mutual respect between Onumonu and her coach. McGuire is a coach she trusts and who inspires confidence in her, and she is a caring player with great instincts and a desire to learn.

Despite the freshman’s early success, McGuire does not believe Onumonu has reached her full potential.

He plans to spend the next three and a half years helping her get there.

Taylor Brink covers women’s soccer. Contact her at tbrink@dailycal.org

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