The Pacific Mountain West is a strong, albeit small, women’s DI college conference, and this season has provided a bevy of thrilling matches. Not even Stanford, the perennial league champion, has been exempt from near-losses and could easily be 2-2 right now instead of 4-0. But when the ball bounces in one team’s direction, it bounces away from another, and that’s where Cal has found itself. Two weeks ago, Cal relinquished its lead to Stanford on a game-ending penalty, and with a chance to rebound against a winless Chico State Saturday, it fell short in a 23-22 defeat.

The Golden Bears won the teams’ first meeting 35-10, but the rematch occurred on Chico’s home pitch, and the host had some important personnel return from injury. Shanan McFall, for instance, resumed her post at flyhalf, allowing All American Megan Foster to push out for more striking opportunities.

But more importantly, the team was syncing up and playing as a cohesive unit.

“Our team finally stepped up and came together to play a tough, hard-hitting game that Chico State has traditionally played,” Foster distinguished Saturday’s game. “The forwards did a great job at sucking in Cal players, and our backs were able to take advantages of the gaps in Cal’s defense.”

“The team stepped up this past weekend with their defense,” Chico State coach Mary Triantafyllou added. “We applied more pressure, made more tackles and prevented Cal from poaching our ball.”

The game started in Cal’s favor, as CJ Whiteside scored the game-opening try and Stacey Wong hit the conversion. The All American fullback was Cal’s most potent weapon, scoring three tries on the day and planting several try-saving tackles.

Chico answered back with the next two scores, logging the first of five lead changes. McFall slotted a penalty, and rookie fullback Darby McFall dotted down for the 8-7 lead.

Whiteside put her side on top with her second try (12-8), and Cal looked to extend its lead farther shortly afterward. The Golden Bears had a lineout on Chico’s five meter but knocked-on for the turnover and scrum. From the set piece, the ball moved to Chico center Natalie Oelsner, who tore away and returned the ball to Cal’s end. Whiteside made a last-ditch tackle that saved the score, but a couple of phases later, Foster finished off the break with a try, 13-12 into halftime.

In the second half, Whiteside served Chico a bit of its own medicine. Penalties allowed the host to march down to Cal’s 10 meter, but a turnover put the fullback into space, and she tore away for a go-ahead try, 17-13 to Cal.

But it wasn’t the “stay ahead” try. Chico rookie wing Rachel Ward took an intercept 50 meters for a try (20-17 Chico), and then Shanan McFall slotted her second penalty, 23-17. The game got chippy at the end, and Chico was down to 13 players at one point. That space allowed Cal's Wong to dot down a 50-meter try, but the conversion was no good, and there the game ended, 23-22 to Chico.

Triantafyllou acknowledged loose forwards Jackie Lovrin and Sierra Knebel for leading the forward attack, while flyhalf McFall and centers Foster and Oelsner performed well in the backs.

“Both teams played their hearts out and pushed until the last second,” Foster said. “I feel that our team really grew this weekend, and showed that we can compete just as well as anyone else in this strong PMC West league.”

In other PMC West news, Stanford pulled away in the second half against UC Davis, winning 37-24. Davis and Chico State need to reschedule its rainout from earlier this month, but see below for the current standings: