Kansas University Sophomore forward Shannon McCabe attempts to steal the ball from a California opponent. Cal beat KU, 1-0, Sunday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.

Kansas University's Nicole Cauzillo, right, moves the ball downfield past California's Courtney Hooker. Cal edged KU, 1-0, Sunday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.

It was the same old story for Kansas University’s soccer squad in its final nonconference home game.

For the sixth time this season, the Jayhawks were held scoreless in a 1-0 loss to 19th-ranked California on Sunday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.

“When you give up one goal, you should still have a chance of winning, and we have been,” KU coach Mark Francis said following the team’s fourth one-goal loss. “But the bottom line is, we’ve still got to convert chances at the other end. Good thing is we’re still creating more chances. So I think that’s a positive.

“It’s just a matter of time before we unload on somebody. And I think after that, the kids realize that the doors will be open, and we’ll just be able to keep doing that.”

Kansas (1-7-1) finished with six shots on goal, with the best opportunity coming from Jessica Bush in the final four minutes.

Bush attempted to put in a loose ball in front of the net, but ended up kicking right at Cal’s goalkeeper sliding at the ball.

“Usually those balls are tough to put in when they bounce high in the air, and we just got unlucky,” Bush said. “Kim (Boyer) did a good job following up the keeper, but the keeper made a good save.”

Francis said it was important that his squad picked up its intensity when attacking as compared to a fairly lackluster performance against No. 25 Illinois on Friday.

“It was a lot better, a lot better,” Francis said. “It was like night and day from the other day (Friday). I thought in the attacking third – against a good team so it’s not like you’re playing somebody that’s not a quality opponent – we created quite a few chances today. Individually, I think some players are starting to play well.

“I thought today we got a lot of help off our bench. I thought the kids that came off the side did very well.”

The lone goal of the game came in the 66th minute, when Cal’s Katherine Daiss crossed up Kansas goalkeeper Colleen Quinn by deflecting a pass from Torrey Delaplane.

“That was an unbelievable goal that kid scored,” Francis said. “But sometimes that happens. So I have no issues with that team.”

Kansas will begin Big 12 Conference play with four games on the road. KU’s first conference foe will be Baylor on Friday.

“We’ve probably played one of the toughest schedules in the country in terms of our competition this nonconference season,” Francis said. “I could have scheduled it different, and we probably could have been 9-1 or 10-0, but I’m not sure we learn a whole lot about who we are.

“So I think going into the conference we’re not going to play anybody in our conference that is better than some of the other teams we’ve played. The competition is tough, but I think that we’re definitely ready for the level of competition from who we’ve played so far in the season.”