Aug. 27, 2005
Portland, Ore. - 14th-ranked Stanford women's soccer opened the 2005 season tonight with a 3-0 loss to the seventh-ranked Portland Pilots at Merlo Field.
Stanford faced an offensive barrage, as the Pilots challenged Stanford's freshman goalkeeper Alex Gamble throughout the contest. Portland tallied 20 shots, while the Cardinal was limited to three shots in the match.
Portland picked up two early goals, as Megan Rapinoe scored in the fifth minute and Christine Sinclair put the Pilots up 2-0 just past the 10-minute mark. Rapinoe added her second goal of the night in the 33rd minute, but Gamble and the Cardinal defense shutout the Pilots for the final 57 minutes. Gamble recorded three saves in the second half, including a blocked penalty kick, to finish the night with four saves in her collegiate debut.
With the loss, Stanford falls to 0-1-0 on the season, while Portland begins the year with a 1-0-0 record.
Stanford will be on the field again next Friday, as the Cardinal hosts San Jose State at Maloney Field. Game time is set for 7 p.m. on Sept. 2.