Nov. 4, 2007
Stanford women's soccer honored its six departing seniors before the game, and gave them a game to remember in a 2-1 victory over Washington State in the first overtime at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium. Cardinal redshirt senior Shari Summers scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Cardinal over a very talented Cougar squad. Freshman Christen Press was the other Cardinal goal scorer as she tied the game after the Cougars got on the board first. Erica Holland only allowed one goal on the afternoon and is unbeaten since coming back from injury.
The Cougars got on the board first after a relatively uneventful opening 15 minutes of play behind Kiersten Dallstream's shot that got by Holland. Dallstream received a pass from the upper left part of the goalkeeper box and fired a shot that got by a diving Holland. After the Washington State goal, the Cardinal was able to mount more pressure on the Cougars, but they still couldn't find the net and get on the board. Senior Rachel Buehler sent a header over the net for a great Cardinal scoring chance and sophomore Kristin Stannard took a shot that Cougar goalkeeper Brynn Bemis was able to deflect away.
In the 36th minute, Press gathered a ball and made a move right on a Cougar defender. She wound up from way out and struck a ball that looked it bounced off the top crossbar and out, but the sideline referee signaled that the ball had deflected off the crossbar and into the net for the first Cardinal goal. The goal was Press' fourth on the season and it tied the score at 1-1. Both teams couldn't amount an attack in the final nine minutes of the half and the teams went into the halftime break tied at one.
The second half brought out some stronger play for the Cardinal when their defense started to exert its force on the Cougar offense. Stanford got a great scoring chance when sophomore Ali Riley drove the right side of the field and sent a crossing pass that a flying Kelley O'Hara headed at the goal, but the ball sailed just wide to keep the game tied. Both teams were only able to get a combined four shots on goal in the second half as the game turned into a ball control battle. Riley got a strong shot on goal in the final two minutes of action, but it sailed wide as well and the Cardinal entered the overtime with the score still tied at one apiece.
Overtime has been a portion of the game that Stanford has been able to control for the most part all season-long. The Cardinal has outshot their opponents 19-8 and has not given up a goal in overtime all season. They also have not lost a game in overtime with a 2-0-3 record. In the overtime, the Cougars got the first chance on net, but were unable to convert as Holland made one of her three saves on the day. At the 96:01 mark in the game, the Cardinal setup a corner kick that was received by Buehler, deep in Cougar zone. She took a shot that was deflected, but the ball landed right in front of Shari Summers, who followed in the game-winner to give the Cardinal the victory.
The Cardinal now enters the final weekend of the regular season with a 13-2-3 overall record and a 4-1-2 record in the Pac-10. The team will travel to the Northwest to take on Oregon and Oregon State.
The game was filmed by Fox Sports Net and will be shown on Fox Sports Bay Area on Thurs, Nov. 8 at 9 a.m.