Grizzlies making their mark

Women’s lacrosse team ranked No. 4 in nation after blistering 16-0 start to season

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Photo by Daniel Pan

Senior Morgan Taylor charges down the field in Cal’s win against Monte Vista. Taylor is committed to SDSU and currently leads Cal in goals scored.

The women’s lacrosse team is in the midst of a historical season.

As of Wednesday, the Grizzlies were ranked No. 4 in the nation and No. 2 in California, according to maxpreps.com.

The squad is off to a 16-0 start, including four victories against league opponents.

Their play on the field has been nothing short of dominant, as they boast an unfathomable +153 goal differential.

The group attributes their success to an excellent camaraderie among all teammates, as everyone has developed outstanding bonds with each other.

When  factoring in the immense amount of talent on the roster, this club truly possesses the ultimate winning culture that all teams strive to attain.

“Everyone is really close, and the chemistry is great,” said senior captain Jordyn Pandolfo. “We all want to work hard and strive for the one goal of winning NCS.”

The Grizzlies feature a high powered offense that averages 16 goals per game, almost double the national average. Leading the charge are Pandolfo and fellow senior captain Morgan Taylor, who has scored a team-high 68 goals. Pandolfo has added 53 goals to go along with an amazing 59 assists.

“We play close as a team and we work really well together,” said Taylor, who plays midfielder. “Plus, we work really hard every single day at practice.”

Cal can hold its own on the defensive side as well, having given up an average of just 5.4 goals per game to opponents.

This season, the Grizzlies are looking to avenge a streak of five straight semifinal exits in the NCS championships, the last three at the hands of Amador Valley.

The two foes faced off on March 25 with Cal grabbing a 16-12 win.

“It has been very frustrating, but I think this year will be our year to avenge that,” said Taylor. “That gives us a lot of motivation to get to NCS and beat them.”

Added Pandolfo, “Everyone just knows that if there were any year we could win NCS, this is gonna be the year. We definitely want to come out on top against Amador and get into the NCS finals.”

Another highlight for the Grizzlies this season was their 11-7 win over Monte Vista on April 12.

“That was a really good win for us,” said Pandolfo. “Every year it’s either us or them that wins the league title.”

Cal’s closest victory was an 11-10 win over St. Ignatius of San Francisco, which is No. 8 in the state.

The team is led by head coach Rachael Martinez, who is in her fourth year. Martinez was the captain of Cal’s 2007 team, which went undefeated en route to the program’s sole NCS title. She was not available for comment for this story.

Martinez also was Cal’s first lacrosse player to compete at the Division 1 level in college, where she starred at UC Davis.

This year’s roster has no shortage of girls that have already committed to play lacrosse at the collegiate level.

Taylor will play at San Diego State University, Pandolfo at Fresno State University, fellow senior captain Ally Kroeckel will go to Chapman University, and senior defender Sarah Hagan will play at Salisbury University in Maryland.

In addition, junior Ashley Ward has committed to play at UC Berkeley in two years.

It’s no secret that the women’s lacrosse doesn’t receive the attention and recognition it deserves on campus.

But after a 2016 campaign that has the makings of one of the best single seasons in Cal sports history, things are sure to change.