April 3, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. - Appropriately enough, it was a pair of seniors who helped carry No. 1 Stanford to a hard-fought 9-8 victory over No. 3 UCLA on Senior Night Friday, as Kira Hillman and Lauren Silver each scored twice, with Hillman notching the eventual game-winner.
The victory extended Stanford's winning streak to 18 games, and improved the Cardinal to 21-1 overall and 5-0 in MPSF play. With the loss UCLA fell to 20-4 overall and 5-1 in MPSF contests.
Along with Hillman and Silver, freshman Melissa Seidemann scored a pair of goals in Friday's contest. Kelly Eaton, Kim Krueger and Jessica Steffens accounted for the Cardinal's other two scores.
UCLA opened the game with two straight goals to take an early 2-0 lead after the opening eight minutes. Tanya Gandy and Sarah Orozco got the Bruins on the board with the goals.
Stanford would battle back to equalize in the second period behind goals from Hillman and Seidemann, but the tie wouldn't last long as Gandy converted a 6-on-5 to put UCLA back in front. Yet the Cardinal would fight back to draw even by the half, as Eaton's goal made it 3-3.
The teams opened the second half alternating goals, with UCLA twice going ahead at 4-3 and then 5-4, before the Cardinal managed to string together a 6-on-5 goal from Seidemann, then a 5-on-4 score from Silver that gave Stanford its first lead of the game at 6-5.
After Priscilla Orozco drew the Bruins even at 6-6, Krueger answered with her only goal of the day to give Stanford a 7-6 lead at the end of the third period, a lead that the Cardinal would end up never relinquishing.
Silver scored in the fourth period's opening minute on a 6-on-5 power play to give Stanford its largest lead of the game at 8-6. The defenses then dug in as the game stalemated until there was just over a minute left when UCLA's Anne Belden cut the Cardinal lead to 8-7 with 1:19 remaining.
But 24 seconds later, Hillman netted the eventual game-winner, putting Stanford up 9-7. Although UCLA added a goal with 35 seconds left, Stanford was able to run out the clock on its final possession to preserve the victory.
Stanford now heads to Berkeley next week to take on California Saturday night, April 11 at 7 p.m.
UCLA - 2 1 3 2 = 8
Stanford - 0 3 4 2 = 9
Stanford Goal Scorers: Hillman 2, Seidemann 2, Silver 2, Eaton, Krueger, Steffens
UCLA Goal Scorers: Belden 2, Gandy 2, P. Orozco 2, Easterday, S. Orozco
Goalie Saves: N/A