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STANFORD, Calif. -- The No. 3 Stanford women's soccer team pushed forth three first-half goals to break a recent cycle and earn a 6-0 victory over Wisconsin on a warm Sunday afternoon at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.
Stanford (9-0-0) not only won its own tournament, the 15th annual Stanford Nike Invitational, on goal differential over No. 12 Santa Clara, but is off to its best start since opening at 10-0 in 1994.
Entering the match, the Cardinal had scored only five of its 27 goals in the first half, but broke through with three in a 12-minute span of the opening half. All were scored in similar fashion, when Kelley O'Hara and Teresa Noyola (twice) beat defenders on the dribble to the end line and centered to an open teammate. Christen Press, Mariah Nogueira and Courtney Verloo were the recipients.
Nogueira closed the Cardinal scoring by heading in Press' corner kick in the 54th minute for the final margin. The freshman midfielder had two goals and became the sixth different Stanford player this season with multiple goals in a game. Press had a goal and two assists.
"The difference in this game was we were able to break it open in the first half," Noyola said. "Before, we've been having trouble getting goals in the first half. That was a big step for us."
Kelley O'Hara produced her team-leading 10th goal of the season after Press set it up with a run down the middle. Press scored her seventh of the season, to open the scoring in the 21st minute.
Even after coach Paul Ratcliffe substituted liberally in the second half, Stanford still had plenty of scoring opportunities while outshooting the Badgers (4-4-1), 30-4.
"We've been getting better every game and that shows in getting a lot of team wins," Noyola said. "It hasn't been about individuals. This weekend, the whole team stepped up.
"The players that have played together before, know what to expect of each other," Noyola said. "But now the freshmen are really starting to jell. And it shows. We know what the player next to us is going to do. It makes so much difference, because that's how we break teams down."
Stanford begins classes on Monday, and the Cardinal resumes play Sunday at Saint Mary's in a 1 p.m. match, before concluding the nonconference season Oct. 1 at Santa Clara.
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