April 13, 2008
STANFORD, Calif. - Seniors Jacquelyn Gauthier and Megan Nesland went out in style Saturday on Senior Day, as the second-ranked Stanford women's water polo team captured a 10-4 victory over No. 8 UC Irvine at Avery Stadium. Gauthier scored a pair of goals to help the cause as Stanford (22-3, 10-1 MPSF) claimed its 10th consecutive win with the decision over the Anteaters (13-9, 5-6 MPSF).
Along with Gauthier's goals, Kelly Eaton, Kim Krueger, and Lauren Silver also each found the back of the cage twice. Kira Hillman and Megan May added single goals to round out the scoring.
On defense, Amber Oland stopped nine UC Irvine shots, while allowing only three goals before being relieved in the final minutes of the contest by fellow freshman Kim Hall.
For the second straight contest, the Cardinal found itself in a tight battle during the opening period. Neither offense could find its way into the cage through the first 7:29 of the game, until Silver finally broke through for the Cardinal during a 6-on-5 situation with 31 seconds left.
Stanford would build on its 1-0 lead early on in the second half, picking up a score less than two minutes in from Krueger, then getting another extra-attacker score, this time from Hillman, to take a 3-0 lead with 2:32 to play before halftime.
UC Irvine would get on the board just 24 seconds later, as a Cardinal foul led to Plummer's five-meter penalty shot that skipped by Oland to make it a 3-1 contest.
Stanford, though, went on to thwart any kind of Anteater momentum, as May scored less than a minute later to put the Cardinal up by three, followed by Eaton's score with 40 seconds to play that gave Stanford the 5-1 halftime lead.
The advantage climbed to 7-1 in the third period, thanks first to a tip-in goal by Eaton from a picture-perfect Gauthier pass on the fast break, followed by a 6-on-5 goal from Silver. Irvine would score the finla goal of the period thanks to Alli Russell, but the Cardinal would answer with a pair of goals from Gauthier in the first 3:13 of the fourth period to essentially ice the game.
Stanford hits the road for a short drive down I-280 next Saturday, visiting No. 9 San Jose State for a 12 p.m. contest. Saturday's game will be the regular-season finale for the Cardinal before starting MPSF Tournament play the following weekend.
UC Irvine - 0 1 1 2 = 4
Stanford - 1 4 3 2 = 10
Stanford Goal Scorers: Eaton 2, Gauthier 2, Krueger 2, Silver 2, Hillman, May
UC Irvine Goal Scorers: Plummer 2, Frost, Haskell
Goalie Saves: Oland 9, Hall 0 (S); Machanis 10 (UCI)