With the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, or MPSF, conference title up for grabs later this season, Cal hit a stumbling block as it battled one of its toughest competitors and fell short in an overtime match.
Cal hosted its second conference game against USC. Ranked No. 2 in the nation, the Trojans showcased their strength on both ends of the pool and ultimately claimed the victory. The final score was 14-15, with the Bears losing in the last seconds of the game.
Next up, the Bears take a break from MPSF conference games as they host Harvard this Wednesday, and then they will return to in-conference play as they face Indiana on Saturday.
The upcoming matchup between Cal and Harvard promises to be an exciting and competitive event. Both teams boast talented rosters and have demonstrated their prowess in the pool throughout the season.
Cal enters the game with a strong record and a formidable defense, and the team’s offense is equally imposing, with several players ranking among the top scorers in the league. Led by head coach Coralie Simmons, the Bears’ balanced attack and stingy defense has given opponents trouble all year long.
“It is nice being here with our fans. It’s a way for us to work on new things, different from preparing a lot for USC and being able to shift gears to very different teams, especially coming off of this game,” Simmons said. “But those games are going to come up and down this stretch as well trying to adjust from going from one game to the next.”
Harvard, meanwhile, will look to challenge Cal with its own offensive firepower. The team has shown resilience throughout the season and has the ability to mount comebacks in the face of adversity.
After Harvard, the Bears are also set to face off against Indiana in what promises to be a thrilling match-up between two talented squads in the MPSF conference. The game will take place at the Spieker Aquatics Complex and will be a chance for both teams to showcase their skills and prove their worth before the MPSF championship later this season.
Cal enters the game with a strong record of 13 wins and only four losses so far this season, including impressive victories over top-ranked opponents such as UCLA and Hawaii. On the other side of the pool, Indiana comes into the game with a record of 13 wins and eight losses. While the Hoosiers have faced some tough competition this season, they will be looking to pull off the upset against Cal and make a statement on the road.
Junior attacker Ruby Swadling, coming off of a huge game versus USC, noted how the entire team is looking forward to hosting the next two matches. Cal is looking to hone in on its defensive and offensive strategies in order to better prepare for the competitive conference matches against teams that it has come up short against, like Stanford and USC.
“We are really looking forward to it,” Swadling said. “We have been working a lot on our defense and counterattack, so this weekend and this week will be really important, especially having two games in the week to get up, get things done and get back to basics.”
The match-up between these two teams promises to be an intense battle from start to finish. Cal’s offense will be put to the test against Indiana’s defense, while the Hoosiers will need to find a way to break through Cal’s wall of defenders and put the ball in the net past one of the proven best goalies in the league, Isabel Williams.
Both games will take place in Berkeley and be live-streamed on Cal Live Stream-4.
