Cal Field Hockey vs. Maryland on Pac-12 Networks Open Thread

Update: Replay for this game is available on demand from the Pac-12 Networks site

TV: Pac-12 Bay Area (online stream for subscriber only)

Live Stat: Gametracker

Time: August 24, 5 PM PT

The very first Cal live event on the newly minted Pac-12 Networks (or possibly just Pac-12 Bay Area) will see the defending NorPac Champion (#16 California) hosting the defending National Champion (#1 Maryland). I'm personally looking forward to this since I can use some commentator to explain to me what is going on in field hockey (I have attended exactly one field hockey game in my life when Cal visited Maryland a few years back, I didn't know what was going on half the time).

This will be first of 4 games for Cal Field Hockey on Pac-12 Networks this year (both games vs. Stanford will be televised). Coming off the NorPac Championship, the Bears spent part of this summer playing/touring in Argentina. Cal, winner of their season opener exhibition vs. UC Davis, will look to remain the best in the West (a title that Stanford has wrangled away from the Bears in few recent years prior to 2011, with their ability to give out twice as much scholarships). Unfortunately for this game, best in the west (let's overlook how Stanford is ranked 11th right now since we're the defending conference champ) is generally still a distant 15th or worse (apparently, we're ranked 16th) in the poll, and the Bears face an extremely tough opponent in the top ranked Maryland Terrapins, who did drop their preseason game against the US National Team.

GO BEARS! Pull off this major upset.