Sept. 21, 2007
Boulder, Colo. - The altitude was something to get used to early on, but top-ranked Stanford was able to defeat the University of Colorado Buffaloes 1-0 behind a goal by Marisa Abegg in the 56th minute of play. The Cardinal (7-0-0) dictated the pace of the game and put a season-high 18 shots on net in the contest. Freshman Kira Maker, making her second career start, was able to produce her first career shutout in the victory.
The first half was played to a draw after Colorado was able to hold off the numerous scoring chances by Stanford. Abegg hit the post on an attempt in the first half and the Cardinal took five shots in the first 18 minutes of play. Maker had three first half saves, with one of them coming on a clearance of a corner kick that kept the score tied.
In the second half, Stanford substituted more frequently and controlled the ball on the Colorado side of the field for the majority of the half. The Cardinal out shot the Buffaloes 8-1 in the second half and kept their offense at bay. Marisa Abegg was able to find the net for the game winner at the 55:27 mark in the game after a shot by junior Allison Falk was stopped mere seconds before. It was Abegg's first goal of the season, as she primarily plays on the defensive end for the Cardinal.
The crowd of 3,310 was a record crowd for Colorado University's Prentup field. Head Coach Paul Ratcliffe was pleased with the victory and mentioned the altitude was a factor in the first half. "This was a hard fought victory against a very good Colorado team," said Ratcliffe. "We had a few players come off the bench and give us big lifts. This was a big field, so I tried to substitute a lot and try and offset the altitude. Overall it was a very good win for our team going into Sunday against Denver."
The Cardinal now face Denver University on Sunday, Sept. 23 in the second day of the Colorado Tournament at 10:00 a.m. PT.