Oct. 25, 2009
SEATTLE - Kelley O'Hara moved within one goal of the Stanford single-season record while sparking the No. 1 Cardinal to a 3-0 women's soccer victory over Washington on Sunday.
Stanford moved a step closer to its first Pacific-10 title since 2002 by beating the only other undefeated team in conference play and halting the Huskies' 10-game unbeaten streak.
Stanford (17-0, 6-0) got first-half goals from O'Hara and freshmen reserves Courtney Verloo and Marjani Hing-Glover to wrap up its final regular-season road trip with a pair of victories in Washington.
With her 19th goal, O'Hara closed in on Sarah Rafanelli's 1993 single-season mark of 20. The goal was also the 50th of O'Hara's career, moving her past Marcia Wallis (1999-2002) and Erin Martin (1993-96) and into No. 3 on Stanford's all-time list.
O'Hara will have her chance at Rafanelli's mark against Arizona State on Friday at 7 p.m. The regular season concludes against Arizona (Sunday, 1 p.m.) and California (Nov. 8, 1 p.m.) before the NCAA Tournament begins Nov. 13.
Stanford was tested by Washington (10-3-3, 2-1-2). The Cardinal was limited to 12 shots -- its fewest of the season -- and outshot the Huskies only 12-11. Of those, only four shots came in the first half, three were goals.
"The chances we created were great chances," Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. "And we took advantage of them."
O'Hara certainly did when a pair of long passes, the second by Christen Press, set up the senior forward with a one-on-one opportunity against goalkeeper Kari Davidson, with O'Hara sending a low shot to the right in the 29th minute.
With the entire starting forward line of O'Hara, Press and Lindsay Taylor on the bench late in the first half, Stanford scored twice within a span of 3:12, behind the combination of Verloo, Hing-Glover and Morgan Redman up front.
Verloo scored for the third time this season by taking possession with her back to the goal, then turning quickly to fire a 25-yard shot that grazed the underside of the crossbar in the 40th minute.
Moments later, freshman outside back Rachel Quon played a ball on an overlap from the right and found Hing-Glover, whose header snuck under Davidson to give Stanford a 3-0 lead in the 43rd minute. It was Hing-Glover's second goal of the season.
Ratcliffe praised the play of Verloo, who had a team-high six shots off the bench, as well as fellow reserves Hing-Glover and midfielders Hillary Heath and Camille Levin.
"They really gave us a huge spark," Ratcliffe said.
Stanford was shut out in the second half for the first time this season. But that, and the low shot total, didn't bother Ratcliffe.
"The team played well," he said. "We took care of business. I'm proud of them."