The California Golden Bears women’s field hockey team is set to begin its 2025 season with two away games, facing Monmouth on Friday and Delaware on Sunday. The upcoming schedule includes seven opponents ranked in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NHFCA) Preseason Poll.
Historically, Cal has struggled against Monmouth, holding a 0-2 record. Their last meeting was in October 2021, where the Bears lost 3-2 after giving up two goals in the final period. Against Delaware, Cal stands at 2-3 all-time, with their most recent matchup resulting in a 4-1 defeat in September 2019.
Last season marked Cal’s first as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The team finished with an overall record of 7-10 after starting the year with six wins out of seven games. Throughout the season, Cal appeared three times in the Penn Monto/NFHCA DI National Coaches Poll, which had not happened since 2018.
The Golden Bears reached the ACC Championship for the first time but were eliminated by North Carolina in a 5-0 loss during the first round. North Carolina went on to win the conference title. Shellie Onstead, serving as Donna Fong Director of Field Hockey, achieved her 300th career win during a regular-season victory over Louisville—a game that also marked Cal’s first-ever ACC matchup win.
“Onstead is now one of just eight active head coaches in the country to have reached the 300-win club. She is also one of just 23 all-time head coaches to reach the milestone.”
The team was led by Liz Klompmaker, who earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors and led Cal in points (31), goals (15), and game-winning goals (5). Klompmaker scored at least twice in six different games during her freshman campaign. Canisha van Duyn contributed significantly as well, leading in assists (11) and defensive saves (7), while ranking second on the team with 17 points. Both players received NFHCA All-Region and All-ACC Team honors.
Cal welcomes eleven new players this year—six freshmen and five transfers—including Emma Becker from Dusseldorfer Hockey Club and graduate transfer Lieve Schalk from Iowa. Schalk started full-time for Iowa and helped secure three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances between 2021 and 2023.
Returning experience includes six full-time starters from last season such as Klompmaker—named to this year’s Preseason All-ACC Team—and goalkeeper Delphine Ayitey-Hammond. Ayitey-Hammond missed last season due to injury but previously helped Surbiton Hockey Club win the EuroHockey Club Championship before joining Cal.
Monmouth enters Friday’s match following a successful run last year with a 12-7 record and an appearance in their conference championship game. Key players include Milla Frye, Anna Moors, and Lily Ricks—all named to this year’s Preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Team.
Delaware comes off a season where it posted a 12-10 record, claimed its tenth CAA title over twelve years, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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