1 of 3 Berkeley captains, Kedra Davis
Berkeley has not wanted for close, challenging games this Women’s Premier League (WPL) season, and Week Five was no exception. The All Blues, which have enjoyed three home games during the first half of league, hosted defending national champion San Diego on Treasure Island. Both teams entered the match 1-2, and Berkeley got the boost in a 24-18 contest.
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Both teams were also coming off of difficult losses. San Diego had dropped a big game to Life West in SoCal, while Berkeley suffered a two-point loss to Glendale the week prior. But the All Blues didn’t linger on the loss – or as best expressed by first-year WPL coach João Moura, “This time luck smiled on Glendale.”
There are season goals at hand, and so Berkeley returned to the training pitch to reinforce its strengths and continue to build individuals’ mental toughness – an aspect that San Diego promised to test. The Surfers took an early lead as fullback Megan Foster scored inside of 10 minutes. Before the 20-minute mark, the All Blues put outside center Bulou Mataitoga and lock Allison Byrne into the try zone, and flyhalf Kristen Siano’s conversion put the home side ahead 12-5.
San Diego incurred a yellow card in the final 10 minutes of the half, and Siano capitalized immediately afterward for the try and conversion. Foster closed the differential with her sixth penalty kick of the season, but Berkeley regained momentum into the break with a bonus-point try through Siano. The All Blues led 24-8 after 40 minutes.
“[Saturday] was another moment where the ‘invisible work’ our captains have been doing during practice and games with the players has been revealed,” Moura praised Evan Hoese, Shelby Lin and Kedra Davis. “They are the ones who can keep the team focused, motivated and believing that it is possible when things go wrong, and that is a very difficult task that they were able to do once more with a great impact on the game.”
That fortitude was called upon in the fourth quarter, as No. 8 Julia Buescher dotted down San Diego’s second try, 24-13. With minutes remaining, NorCal native and outside center Teigan MacDonald scored to bring the Surfers within six points of Berkeley.
“[T]hey excelled mainly at their ability to stay focused throughout the game as well as the defensive ability and discipline they showed in the last 15-20 minutes of the game, where San Diego really tried their best to score the winning try,” Moura explained the difference-makers. “These last few minutes really impacted the match outcome because during that time the 15 players on the field worked tirelessly as a team, defending the jersey and raising the level we have played so far.”
Berkeley withstood that final surge from San Diego for the 24-18 win and improved to 2-2 in the WPL West. The Surfers earned a bonus point in the fewer-than-seven-points loss and sit in fourth place at 1-3. Click here for full standings.
“[Saturday’s] win was essential so that we can continue to chase our season goals,” Moura put the victory into perspective. “We know that the west conference is very competitive, that all games are tough, that all teams want the best possible ranking, and we are no exception.”
Berkeley heads north to ORSU (0-4) this Saturday, while San Diego enjoys the bye. On the other side of the WPL West, the top-two teams – Life West (4-0) and Glendale (3-1) – reunite on Treasure Island. TRB will be in attendance.