May 9, 2008
2008 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Tournament Central
Quotes
STANFORD, Calif. - Like a rising tide No. 2 Stanford slowly built momentum before becoming a powerful swell in Friday's 12-1 victory over No. 7 Marist in the first round of the 2008 National Collegiate Women's Water Polo Tournament at Avery Aquatic Center. The Cardinal on Friday scored the first 12 goals of the contest, until a Red Fox goal with 50 seconds remaining in the contest spoiled what would have been Stanford's first shutout since 2003.
The Cardinal advance to the semifinal round, where it will battle MPSF rival and third-seeded USC, a 12-3 victor over No. 6 Michigan on Friday. The opening sprint for Saturday's contest is set for 5:45 p.m. at Avery Aquatic Center. The schools split their four meetings earlier this season, with all four being decided by a goal, and two requiring overtime to settle the matter.
Kelly Eaton, Jacquelyn Gauthier, and Lauren Silver all scored twice for the Cardinal Friday, as Gauthier's scores each came on the power play. For the day, Stanford converted on five of its nine 6-on-5 situations.
Koree Blyleven, Allie Gerrity, Kelsey Holshouser, Kim Krueger, Megan May, and Heather West all added single tallies for Stanford in the contest.
In the cage, Amber Oland made eight saves through three and a half periods of action, while fellow freshman Kim Hall came on in the fourth period and stopped six shots.
The one goal allowed to Marist was Stanford's best defensive showing in terms of goals allowed since limiting Pomona-Pitzer to just one goal on April 9, 2005, in Tempe, Ariz.
Friday's opener got off to a defensive start for the opening eight minutes, as the Cardinal managed to period's only score. Goalies Oland and Libby Davis of Marist alternated one-upping each other, making strong save after strong save. An early Marist flurry tested Oland, who made two big saves in only the game's second minute, while Davis managed to get a piece of Gauthier's breakaway attempt, getting just enough of the ball to stop its momentum from carrying it over the goal line.
Stanford broke the stalemate with 1:50 left in the period, as West got the Cardinal on the board with a shot that got by Davis and into the cage. The Cardinal would then tally three more goals before halftime, with Silver getting the team's first extra-attacker goal of the contest, followed in the ensuing 1:36 by fast-break goals from Eaton and May. That quick burst allowed the Cardinal to take a 4-0 lead into the break.
The momentum continued after the half, as Gerrity converted off of a pass from Silver just 22 seconds into the third period to make it 5-0 Stanford. Another fast break just over a minute later would give Eaton her second goal of the game. At the 1:50 mark, Oland's cross-tank pass found a streaking May for a breakaway goal and 7-0 lead. Gauthier closed the third-period scoring with her first goal of the game, a deft lob over Davis and into the top-right corner of the cage.
The senior added her second goal just 43 seconds into the fourth period, pump-faking then rifling a shot past Davis to put Stanford up 9-0. Extra-attacker goals from Blyleven and Holshouser made it 11-0, then Krueger capped off the Stanford scoring with a goal at 2:04.
Oland and Hall continued their superb play in the cage, as with 6:10 left to play, Oland stuffed an attempt by Rachel Sunday, and Hall, with 3:27 to play, stopped a point-blank shot on a Marist 3-on-1 from Rosie Pauli.
The Red Foxes, though, would break the shutout with 50 seconds remaining, as Sam Swartz converted a 6-on-5 opportunity. The goal spoiled what would have been Stanford's first shutout since a 13-0 victory over UC Santa Cruz at the UC Santa Barbara Invite on March 8, 2003.
Marist - 0 0 0 1 = 1
Stanford - 1 3 4 4 = 12
Stanford Goal Scorers: Eaton 2, Gauthier 2, Silver 2, Blyleven, Gerrity, Holshouser, Krueger, May, West
Marist Goal Scorer: Swartz
Goalie Saves: Oland 8, Hall 6 (S); Davis 9 (M)