Fresh off a bye week, the No. 10 California women’s soccer returns to Edwards Stadium to host two of the top programs in collegiate soccer. The Golden Bears host No. 1 North Carolina on Thursday afternoon before facing No. 3 Duke on Sunday afternoon.
Cal (10-1-2, 3-0-1 ACC), winner of nine of its last 11 matches, takes an 11-match unbeaten streak into the weekend. This is the best record the Bears have had through their first 13 matches since 2000, when Cal began the year 11-1-1.
The two North Carolina-based rivals are both listed as the top team in the country in different polls. The Tar Heels (12-1-0, 5-0-0) rank first in RPI and on Top Drawer Soccer’s weekly national poll, while ranking third on the United Soccer Coaches poll. The Blue Devils (9-1-0, 4-0-0) have been dubbed the nation’s team to beat by United Soccer Coaches and rank third according to Top Drawer Soccer. Duke’s RPI is eighth.
Match Information
No. 1 North Carolina (12-1-0, 5-0-0)
- Date and Time: Thursday, Oct. 10, 4 p.m. PT
- Location: Berkeley, CA – Edwards Stadium
- Live Stream: ACCNX
- Live Stats: Statbroadcast
No. 3 Duke (9-1-0, 4-0-0)
- Date and Time: Sunday, Oct. 13, 1 p.m. PT
- Location: Berkeley, CA – Edwards Stadium
- Live Stream: ACCNX
- Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Make-A-Wish Dedication Game
Sunday’s match with No. 3 Duke marks Cal’s Make-A-Wish Dedication game. The Bears have partnered with Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area to honor the chapter and raise funds and awareness for its mission of wish granting for local children with critical illnesses.
Senior Cailin Bloom has led the charge on the partnership, having maintained a personal relationship with Make-A-Wish. Bloom’s sister, Samantha Bloom, was diagnosed with cancer in 2015 and in 2016 she was granted a wish. Samantha Bloom wished to be a dolphin trainer and Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area sent her and the Bloom family to the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahamas for a week-long trip that included an opportunity for them to interact with dolphins and care for other marine life. After going into remission in 2016, the cancer returned in 2018, and Samantha Bloom passed away.
The match – which features two of the top programs in women’s collegiate soccer – will have food trucks, raffles, and a post-match autograph session with the Golden Bears.
Bears In The Polls
Despite not playing last week the Bears climbed the RPI ladder and rose in the polls. Top Drawer Soccer lists Cal…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at California Golden Bears Athletics…