The University of California, Berkeley beat the Arizona soccer team 1-0 on Murphey Field at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium in Tucson on Sunday afternoon.
The goal was scored in the 86th minute by Cal’s offensive player Karlie Lema. Due to a missed tackle, Lema was able to take the ball across the box, then shoot it low into the corner, scoring on Hope Hisey.
The first half consisted of possession going back and forth between the two teams. The Wildcats started in a 4-3-3 formation, forcing Cal to change their lineup in order to attempt to match Arizona’s. The heat played a part in the physical aspect and communication that took place during the game.
Arizona’s defense held strong for the majority of the first half with a few breakdowns. With Hisey in goal, the Wildcats were able to stay in the game the whole first half.
The score was 0-0 at halftime.
The team’s momentum changed after the whistle blew starting the second half. Arizona was able to keep the ball in the attacking half and forced Cal to switch the field, making the passing extremely predictable.
Sami Baytosh received a yellow card in the 67th minute for unsportsmanlike conduct. The game was extremely scrappy with many fouls on both teams.
Arizona held strong all the way until the 84th minute, but responded well to the goal. Megan Chelf came off an attack, ripping a shot in the 89th minute as the last attempt on goal.
In the post-game press conference, head Arizona soccer coach Becca Moros discussed the team’s reaction to the goal.
“They tried to push forward, we lost momentum a little bit, but they tried to play longer in the last five minutes to get a goal to tie it up,” Moros said.
In preparation for the upcoming game, Moros said that the team needs, “to continue to grow, push and continue getting better. We had a few balls that flew in across the net that if we finished it would have been a game changer. We just need to get the final product.”
Angela Baron, a center back for Arizona and a member of the Colombian senior national team, said, “in order to win these next games we need to score. You can’t win if you don’t score, so we are going to work towards that. Last season was about learning how to do the right things but this year it’s finally starting to come together.”
Baron will be leaving Monday to return to Columbia for the national team. She has great ball composure and body control, making her a standout player. This is Arizona’s first time having a player that will need to go back and forth between countries.
“It’s tremendous with the accomplishment of making the national team,” Moros said. “She’s very strong in a tackle and reads the game well. Those are all great things for athletes to work with because the team can copy and build from her.”
Baron will be gone for nine days while she is in Columbia, meaning that she will be back in time for the University of Colorado Boulder game on Oct. 14.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the team wore pink pinnies, and Quincy Bonds dyed her hair pink for Sunday’s game. Moros also represented the cause by wearing a pink Arizona shirt.
The next two games are on the road in Los Angeles against the USC on Oct. 6 and against UCLA on Oct. 9.
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