The Freelancer

A Rivalry Renewed After finishing their turnaround season only to be snubbed out of the tournament by the Gauchos from Santa Barbara, the Bears got an immediate shot at redemption. After a year off, the return of the rivalry between these two clubs didn't seem to miss a beat. The entire game was hard hitting action. The Bears stepped onto Maxwell field Friday night with a chance to break a losing streak nearly a decade long.

Cal lost the opening faceoff but controlled the ball early getting some good looks only to be denied UCSB's goalie. Carson was strong early on denying Cal the early lead but eventually let one by when Jared Brett drove hard from behind the cage and put the Bears up 1-0. The Bears continued to roll throughout the first half with strong performances from an attack unit that is completely rebuilt following the departure of three seniors from last season. The new group comprised of two sophomores and a junior scored 7 of Cal's 10 on the night.

The defense held strong the entire night, anchored in the goal by Forest Cheney (13 Saves). "UCSB has a lot of firepower, but the our defensive held strong every time the Gauchos threatened to creep back in the game," -Offensive Coordinator Andrew Goodhand. Not only did the defense hold UCSB to 6 goals, but they appeared to dominate play at times continuing to give the offense more chances to extend the lead.

Every time the Gauchos brought the game within striking distance, the bears would answer including a 2-3 minute stretch of being down a man in the third quarter.The bears finished the night with a clock kill that lasted nearly 3 minutes, moving the ball on offense and evading the Gauchos final attempt to close the gap. All in all the weather held, the fans came in large numbers and for their first test of the season, the Bears showed that they are not a one hit wonder but rather a force to be reckoned with in the WCLL.