May. 1, 2005
In the Championship game of the MPSF Tournament, Stanford (20-6, 9-3) lost 9-5 to UCLA to secure 2nd place in the MPSF. Alison Gregorka, Laurel Champion, Katie Hansen, Nancy El-Sakkary, and Christina Hewko each scored one goal for the Cardinal, while goalie Meridith McColl tallied 5 saves. Stanford recorded wins over No. 7 Cal and No. 2 USC this weekend.
Stanford got off to a slow start in the first quarter, with a penalty called on Kelty Luber just three minutes into the quarter, allowing UCLA to be up 4-0 with just over two minutes to play. Then, Laurel Champion sent a crisp pass to Nancy El-Sakkary, who sunk the ball into the net for Stanford's first goal. Just a minute later, Champion sent yet another assist to Katie Hansen for an awesome goal outside 7 meters, bringing the score to 6-2, the Cardinal still chasing a 4-point lead by UCLA.
UCLA's Thalia Munro scored a goal at the start of the second quarter when McColl was ejected for trying to steal the ball while out of the cage. McColl, who tallied a record 19 saves in Stanford's win over USC on Saturday, tallied two saves in the second quarter to help keep UCLA scoreless for a few minutes. Several possessions by Stanford and UCLA were not converted, resulting in five minutes of play without a single goal by either team. At 1:40 left in the first half, Stanford freshman Jacquelyn Gauthier stole the ball for her 2nd steal of the quarter, and got it to Kelty Luber, who narrowly missed a high shot that went a few inches above the goalpost. Stanford ended the second quarter without a single goal, 2-7.
At 6:25 in the third quarter, Alison Gregorka sent a powerful skip shot into the goal off an assist from Katie Hansen to bring Stanford to 3-7. Just one possession later, another shot from Gregorka was knocked down by a UCLA player, and gave UCLA possession of the ball, which Brittany Rowe got into the net to score their 8th goal at 1:59. Yet another shot by Gregorka was blocked by UCLA goalie Emily Feher, and Stanford ended the third quarter having converted only 50% of their man-up situations, while UCLA had converted 75% of their 6-on-5 opportunitites.
Champion spent much of the fourth quarter guarding a physical Brittany Rowe in set, but had enough determination and speed to be an offensive threat as well. She scored Stanford's fourth goal from five meters out after her shot was deflected by a UCLA player, then by the UCLA goalie, to slide into the goal. Scotti Shafer attempted to score Stanford's fifth goal, but it bounced off the goal post. McColl posted an incredible save with just over two minutes to go in the game, but a penalty was called on Christina Hewko, which enabled UCLA's Kelly Rulon to score their 9th goal. Christina Hewko channeled her frustration into a sweet goal from 2-meters that was assisted by Kelty Luber, sending Stanford to 5-9. Katie Hansen attempted the Cardinal's last shot at just :37 left to go, but it went right to the stomach of UCLA goalie and Stanford ended the game 5-9.
Stanford (20-6, 9-3) now waits to receive a bid to attend the NCAA Tournament in Ann Arbor, Michigan May 12-15. Because Stanford placed 2nd in the MPSF Tournament, they will most likely receive one of the three bids that go to the MPSF Conference.
Stanford scorers: Gregorka, Champion, Hansen, El-Sakkary, Hewko.
Saves: McColl (5)
UCLA scorers: Cahill (3), Golda, Kraus, Rulon, Kacy Kunkel, Munro, Rowe.
Saves: Feher (9 saves).