Oct. 17, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. - Playing the two-meter position requires plenty of strength, resilience, courage and guile, among other qualities, and Saturday at Avery Aquatic Center, No. 3 Stanford's own Ryan McCarthy and Jeffrey Schwimer put those on display as they muscled their way to a combined five goals in the Cardinal's 10-4 victory over No. 16 Santa Clara.
The Cardinal will return right back to action Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m., hosting No. 5 Pepperdine in an MPSF contest at Avery Aquatic Center.
McCarthy led all players with three goals in the contest, including a pair in the first period that helped Stanford get out to a 3-1 lead. Schwimer, meanwhile, opened the game's scoring just 49 seconds in and netted a pair of goals on the day.
Janson Wigo also scored a pair of goals while Travis Noll, Alex Pulido and Will Smith each added one to round out the Cardinal scoring.
Goalie Jimmie Sandman made 10 saves on the day, highlighted by a great one-handed stop of a Santa Clara lob shot in a one-on-one situation.
Stanford's opening goal, from Schwimer, came on its first 6-on-5 opportunity in the game's first minute. Alert action from Jacob Smith got a quick pass in to Schwimer in front of the goal just after the exclusion was called, and Schwimer converted the chance to put the Cardinal on top.
McCarthy bagged his first goal of the game at 3:43, then, after the Broncos answered with a goal from Daley Meistrell, the senior two-meter got the Stanford lead back up to two at 3-1 with another goal in front at 2:08.
The defensive play of the Cardinal, though, is what made a major difference in the contest. The unit held Santa Clara to one goal in the first half, and just two through the first three periods thanks to field blocks, anticipation of passes, and the quick reflexes of Sandman in the cage.
Leading 6-2 in the third period, Stanford went on to put the game away over the final three minutes, as Smith fired home a shot from the perimeter and Pulido scored with 35 seconds remaining to put the Cardinal up 8-2. Wigo's goal inside the near post halfway through the final period made it 9-2 Stanford, delivering the final nail to SCU's hopes.
Santa Clara - 1 0 1 2 - 4
Stanford - 3 2 3 2 - 10
Stanford Goal Scorers: McCarthy 3, Schwimer 2, J. Wigo 2, Noll, Pulido, W. Smith
Santa Clara Goal Scorers: Poggetti 2, Meistrell, Wall
Goalie Saves: Sandman 10 (S); Wishart 10 (SCU)