March 21, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. - Hat tricks from seniors Lauren Silver and Heather West led 12 Cardinal scorers Saturday as top-ranked Stanford raced out to a 12-0 halftime lead en route to defeating Harvard, 20-2, at Avery Aquatic Center.
Stanford (16-1, 3-0 MPSF) held Harvard (5-6) scoreless until the third period, when the Crimson scored both of its goals for the game. The victory is Stanford's 12th in a row.
Along with the hat tricks from Silver and West, the Cardinal's Koree Blyleven, Kelsey Holshouser, Alyssa Lo and Chelsea Smith-Carmichael each scored twice, and additional goals were registered by Cassie Churnside, Monica Coughlan, Kira Hillman, Alex Koran, Pallavi Menon and Melissa Seidemann.
The Cardinal wasted no time getting out to a big lead, finding the back of the cage seven times in the opening period. That effort was followed up by five more goals in the second period, while the defense was a wall, holding the Crimson scoreless over the opening 16 minutes.
Sophomore goalkeeper Kim Hall stopped seven shots while going the distance in the cage for Stanford.
Harvard posted its only two goals of the contest in the third period, but the Cardinal scored four of its own to increase its advantage to 14 at 16-2. Over the final eight minutes, Stanford put four more in the cage for the game's final margin.
Stanford now embarks on a four-game road trip over five days beginning with March 23's contest at UC San Diego.
Harvard - 0 0 2 0 = 2
Stanford - 7 5 4 4 = 20
Stanford Goal Scorers: Silver 3, Blyleven 2, Holshouser 2, Lo 2, West 2, Smith-Carmichael 2, Churnside, Coughlan, Eaton, Hillman, Koran, Menon, Seidemann
Goalie Saves: Hall 7 (S)