The California women's soccer team has signed five outstanding recruits to national letters of intent, Cal head coach Neil McGuire announced Friday. Lauren Battung, Jessica Clark, Amanda Glass, Lauren Hein and Samantha Walker will all join the Golden Bears in fall 2009. This year, Cal finished the season at a 10-9-1 overall clip and went 3-5-1 in the competitive Pac-10. More...

Given the location and opponent, this was Cal's best all-around performance since the 2007 victory at Oregon "... The gameplans were smart; Cal out-coached Stanford on both sides of the ball. The execution was sound, save the blocked punt and interception. And the Bears played with guts and resolve — something they haven't often done in the crucible of November "... If the winning drive at Arizona State was the first step in Kevin Riley's evolution, this was the second — it gives Cal reason to think he could be an elite Pac-10 quarterback next season. Next up for the Bears: Bye, then at Washington (Dec. 5). The matchup: The well-placed bye should allow Cal time to celebrate the Big Game victory and then focus on the Huskies, who have played well at home. (Like Stanford's Andrew Luck, UW quarterback Jake Locker poses problems with his arm and legs.) ... Look for another big game from Shane Vereen, as the Huskies have struggled against the run (166 ypg).