March 4, 2006
Stanford, Calif - The second-ranked Cardinal prevailed behind tough defense in a hard fought match against the thirteenth ranked UC Irvine Anteaters on Saturday afternoon at the Avery Aquatic Center.
Behind strong play from goalie Meridith McColl, who finished the contest with ten saves, and a balanced offensive attack, the Cardinal pulled away in the second half. Stanford's strong effort was nearly overshadowed by Anteater goalie Lauren Machanis, who finished the game with an impressive nineteen saves.
The contest was close at halftime, with the Cardinal clinging to a 2-1 lead. However, second half goals by Freshman Lauren Silver (Long Beach, CA), Senior Scotti Shafer (Carlsbad, CA), and Junior Christina Hewko (Newport Beach, CA) helped the Cardinal finish strong. Silver finished the game with team high two goals to increase her season total to 22.
Saturday's game was a physical contest, one that witnessed ten ejections. The Cardinal (10-2, 4-0 MPSF) launched a total of thirty-one shots, while limiting the Anteaters (6-7, 0-2 MPSF) to only fifteen.
Sunday afternoon the Cardinal will face eleventh-ranked Long Beach State in a 1pm contest.
Game Statistics
#2 Stanford (10-2, 4-0 MPSF) 2 0 1 2 = 5
#13 UCI (6-7, 0-2 MPSF) 0 1 0 1 =2
Stanford Goals: Shafer 1, Hansen 1, Hewko 1, Silver 2
Stanford Saves: McColl 10
SJSU Goals: Rossi 1, Flacco 1
SJSU Saves: Machanis 19