Nov. 20, 2009
STANFORD, Calif.- No. 1 Stanford and No. 11 Santa Clara are about to square off in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16. Stay tuned for a live account of the action:
37:00 left in first half: Stanford with the only chance of the game so far, with Christen Press firing off an attempt blocked by Santa Clara keeper Bianca Henninger.
30:00 left in first half: Now with a 4-0 shot edge, Stanford continues to apply pressure on the offensive end. Cardinal playing like a team that has outscored its opponents 22-4 in the first period this year.
23:00 left in first half: Play becoming more physical, and Santa Clara's Jenny LaPonte receives a yellow card to set up Lindsay Taylor with a direct free kick. Taylor's shot was saved, and meanwhile Santa Clara has ripped off three attempts to cut Stanford's shot edge to 5-3.
21:00 left in first half: Teresa Noyola is Stanford's first sub off the bench, waiting patiently to check in. Noyola has scored five goals for the Cardinal this year.
18:00 left in first half: It's a typical postseason atmosphere at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium. Frigid temperatures, howling, brisk winds and a energetic crowd ready to rock on a Friday night. Meanwhile, Stanford holds an 8-4 shot edge and a rocket from Christen Press just sailed above the crossbar. A near miss for Stanford.
10:00 left in first half: Santa Clara head coach Jerry Smith and Stanford skipper Paul Ratcliffe are familiar with one another in postseason play. The Broncos are 5-1 all-time against the Cardinal in the NCAA Tourney.
9:00 left in first half: Stanford just attempted the first corner kick of the night. The shot was headed out of danger by a Santa Clara defender. Tight, hard-fought match so far, with Stanford holding a 10-4 shot edge.
6:19 left in first half: The Cardinal awarded with another free kick, Teresa Noyola takes it and fires it home for a goal. Point-blank rocket that beat Santa Clara keeper Bianca Henninger top-shelf. Stanford up 1-0, and the Cardinal has taken the early edge. The crowd could sense something developing, with Stanford holding an 11-4 shot edge.
4:00 left in first half: Santa Clara gets its best chance. After Kelley O' Hara is whistled for a foul, Jordan Angeli blasts a shot that skips into the arms of Stanford's Kira Maker. A good, hard liner from Angeli, but Maker was ready for the opportunity to make a play.
End of first half: Stanford takes a 1-0 lead into the break. The Cardinal has threatened throughout the first 45 minutes, holding a 14-4 advantage in the shot department. So far Teresa Noyola's sixth goal of the year is standing up. That's bad news for Jerry Smith's troops, because Stanford has never let an opponent draw even after taking a lead this year.
42:00 left in second half: A light drizzle falling on the field as the second half gets underway. Christen Press and Lindsay Taylor lead all players with three shots so far, as both teams are trading possessions early on.
39:00 left in second half: Kelley O' Hara nearly makes it 2-0 but her 20-foot blast sails high. Courtney Verloo making an impact with some nice runs along the sideline.
36:00 left in second half: Teresa Noyola back into the contest, followed by Allison McCann. Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe continues to push all the right buttons. Meanwhile, Santa Clara's Meleana Shim misfires on an attempt from the top of the box and the Broncos are now being outshot 15-6.
32:00 left in second half: Meleana Shim rips another attempt toward the goal, and this one almost eludes Stanford netminder Kira Maker. A key chance for the Broncos, who are remaining patient despite being overmatched against a Stanford squad that is just plain fun to watch.
30:00 left in second half: A rarity: Christen Press misses high on a wide open net. Teresa Noyola tapped a nice cross to Press, who struck it a little early and the shot sailed high. Relief for Santa Clara, which would have been all but finished with a second goal. Stanford outshooting Santa Clara 17-7.
29:00 left in second half: Credit the Santa Clara players' toughness: almost every Bronco player is wearing only short sleeves.
20:00 left in second half: Santa Clara attempting to generate some offense, but play has been centered around midfield. Stanford in complete control, but Cardinal fans are surely anxious for an insurance goal. The Broncos have been here before.
12:00 left in second half: Hillary Heath serves in a corner kick and Kelley O' Hara gives it a header that just misses. Another good chance for Stanford, which is now outshooting Santa Clara 21-7.
9:00 left in second half: Christen Press re-enters the game. She's fresh...and could make an immediate impact. At this point, Santa Clara needs to get something going.
2:00 left in second half: Kira Maker comes up with an impressive save following a high, arching shot from Santa Clara's Jordan Angeli. The ball is punched away and Stanford is minutes away from a date with Boston College in the quarters.
FINAL: It's all over. Stanford has blanked Santa Clara 1-0, advancing to play Boston College next week in the NCAA Tournament quarters. The Cardinal keeps its perfect record alive at 23-0. Stay tuned for additional details.