Susie Ropp

Cal takes losses from offensive powerhouses Arizona State and USC as the Bears begin conference play on the road.

After securing their first two wins of the season against opponents Mercer and Winthrop, the blue and gold are looking to make it three in a row on the road.

Cal lacrosse has consistently kept up its one-win increase the last five years but has plans to break that trend with eyes set on a Pac-12 championship.

The victory would outshine the team’s eventual 16-5 loss to USC, as Cal was able to snap its losing streak and make this season count.

The Bears’ unfortunate 0-4 start to this season was snapped Friday when Cal beat UC Davis with a final score of 16-13. The close win may be what Cal needed moving forward as the team inches closer to its first conference game against Oregon in a week.

Teamwork will be a focus for the Bears moving forward to produce a higher-scoring offense, keep more goals out of their own net and hopefully produce better results.

One of the bigger developments of the season, freshman attacker Nikki Zaccaro dazzled with her ability to pass the ball later in the season.

A little bit of Friday the 13th misfortune affected Oregon’s offense down the stretch, as the Ducks had shots hit the goal post on three separate occasions while the Bears took the lead.

If the Bears are able to avoid extended periods of lifelessness, chiefly to start the match, the outlook for their weekend looks rather respectable — and playing at home does not hurt either.