BERKELEY – Kyle Marsh scored the first goal of his California career at an opportune moment, giving the Golden Bears a 3-2 win over Kentucky and the title of the Cal Legacy Classic on Sunday on Goldman Field at Edwards Stadium. Cal junior midfielder Tony Salciccia claimed the Most Valuable Player honor.

 

The 15th-ranked Bears improved their record to 2-1-2 after the nonconference match, while the 15th-ranked Wildcats fell to 4-2-1. Cal is ranked 15th in the Soccer America poll, while Kentucky is 15th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America rankings.

 

Lehigh, which defeated Stanford, 1-0, this afternoon, tied the Bears in the Cal Legacy Classic standings with four points from a win and a tie and also tied Cal in one tiebreaker – goal difference – at +1. The Bears claimed the Cal Legacy Classic on total goals – four to Lehigh’s two – and the Mountain Hawks finished second. Stanford, with three points from its 3-1 win over Kentucky on Sept. 9, wound up third and Kentucky was fourth.

 

“It was a great tournament with four high-quality teams,” Cal head coach Kevin Grimes said. “It was nice to come away with a good result today and a good performance. Kentucky made life very difficult for us with their level of play, and we had to claw our way back two different times in the game in order to get the win. We were tested again today just like we were on Friday. It’s a testament to the guys, who continue to focus on improving this season.”

 

Cal tied Lehigh, 1-1, on Sept. 9.

 

In Cal’s win over the Wildcats, freshman midfielder Seth Casiple assisted on all three goals, with junior forwards Kyle Lunt and John Fitzpatrick also scoring off headers for the Bears.

 

After a 0-0 first half, Cal got on the scoreboard first with Lunt heading in Casiple’s cross at the 49:42 mark.

 

At 56:11, Kentucky tied the match at 1-1 when Charles Pettys took a corner kick that found Sam Brooks, who also scored on a header.

 

Kentucky could have taken a 2-1 lead at 56:58, when Josh Mulvany took a penalty kick for the Wildcats. But sophomore goalkeeper Robby Gogatz made a clutch save to preserve the 1-1 tie.

 

The Wildcats eventually took a 2-1 lead at 59:20, with Matt Lodge finding Tyler Riggs with a short cross and Riggs slotting the ball in the net.

 

At 61:04, Casiple set up John Fitzpatrick’s goal. Fitzpatrick headed past UK goalie Tyler Beadle to knot the score at 2-2.

 

Another Casiple pass set up the winner, as Marsh nodded the ball past Beadle at 71:48 for the sophomore midfielder’s first goal and first points as a Bear.

 

Gogatz ended up with four saves for Cal; Beadle had seven for UK.

 

The Bears next host Santa Clara at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, in their second and last game of the Bay Area Classic. Cal defeated San Francisco, 1-0, in the Dons’ Negoesco Stadium in the Bears’ season opener and also their first game of the Bay Area Classic.

 

Cal Legacy Classic

 

Standings

1. Cal, 4 points*

2. Lehigh, 4 points

3. Stanford, 3 points

4. Kentucky, 0 points

 

* Cal edges Lehigh to win the Cal Legacy Classic based on the total goals tiebreaker: 4-2

 

All-Tournament Team

 

Tony Salciccia, Cal midfielder – MVP

Steve Birnbaum, Cal defender

Seth Casiple, Cal midfielder

Robby Gogatz, Cal goalkeeper

Ciaran Nugent, Lehigh goalkeeper

Daniel Odenwelder, Lehigh midfielder

Kevin Strunk, Lehigh defender

Adam Jahn, Stanford forward

J.J. Koval, Stanford midfielder

Marco Bordon, Kentucky defender

Charles Pettys, Kentucky midfielder