April 2, 2006
Washington, DC - The No. 16 Cardinal women's lacrosse team fell this afternoon to the No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels in a neutral site match played at Georgetown University. The 12-5 decision marked the first-ever meeting between the Stanford and North Carolina programs. The Cardinal evens its record at 5-5 with the loss while the Tar Heels improve to 8-3 on the season.
Stanford struggled in the first half, scoring just twice in the opening period while North Carolina got on the board 11 times. The two goals marked the lowest first half total of the season for the Cardinal. Additionally, the nine-goal halftime deficit was the squad's largest so far this year.
The momentum changed in the second half, however, as the Cardinal rallied to score three more times and hold the Tar Heels to just one goal. The defensive effort marked the third time this season that Stanford has limited an opponent to a single-goal half, as the team accomplished the feat against both Notre Dame and Columbia earlier this year. Goalkeeper Laura Shane led the Cardinal defense with a season-high 22 saves in the match. The Baltimore, Md. native topped her own NCAA single-game season record with the performance as well.
Five players tallied goals to lead the Stanford offense. Juniors Michelle DeChant and Liz Piselli each added goals to increase their season tallies to 13 and 18, respectively. Sophomore Daphne Patterson scored her 22nd goal of the year, top on the Stanford team. Freshman Jamie Nesbitt netted the third goal of her first collegiate season while senior Sarah Bach rounded out the Cardinal scoring with her 85th career goal. The Tar Heels were led by senior Stephanie Scurachio, who notched a game-high three goals and one assist on the afternoon.
Stanford returns to the field on April 10, when the squad hosts the UC Davis Aggies in the Cardinal's last home match of the season. First draw is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Maloney Field.