Feb. 7, 2010
STANFORD, Calif. - No. 1 Stanford claimed its first Stanford Invitational title since 2003 on Sunday, closing out the tournament with a 10-7 victory over California at Avery Aquatic Center. The Cardinal earned its way into the title game with a 15-6 win over San Jose State earlier in the day.
Stanford (7-0) will return to the pool next Saturday, hosting Sonoma State at 10 a.m. at Avery Aquatic Center.
The Cardinal rode group play victories over Michigan, USC and San Jose State to a berth in the title game, where it overcame a slow start to blow past the Golden Bears and retain its No. 1 place in the rankings.
Melissa Seidemann scored twice in the title game and for the weekend tallied goals. Kelly Eaton and Pallavi Menon each scored twice in the title game, while earlier in the day, Annika Dries posted a hat trick against the Spartans.
Amber Oland made six saves in the title-game victory, while freshman Kate Baldoni worked the morning contest, turning away 10 San Jose State shots.
California led the title game, 1-0, after the first period, thanks to a goal from Camille Hewko. Stanford would get on the board thanks to Menon's five-meter penalty shot just 20 seconds into the second frame, but the Golden Bears would go back on top just 21 seconds later.
That 2-1 lead, though, would be California's last of the day, as the Cardinal rounded into form beginning with Jessica Steffens' score 5:23 before the half. Eaton and Menon would add two more goals as Stanford scored three of the next four goals after California had taken the lead, and the Cardinal led 4-3 at the break.
Stanford firmly took control of things as the second half got underway, scoring the first the goals of the third period to take a 7-3 lead. Kelsey Holshouser found the back of the cage from a tough angle on the left side to open things up, then Melissa Seidemann fired her first goal home as Stanford extended its lead to 6-3 just 1:14 into the half.
Seidemann would again rip the cage to give Stanford a 7-3 lead with 4:31 to go in the frame.
Although California would go on to score four of the next six goals through the six-minute mark of the fourth period to cut the Cardinal lead to two at 9-7, Stanford would put one of the nails in California's coffin with Eaton's goal with six minutes to go, then would turn to its defense to take care of the rest. Stanford's defense held the Golden Bears scoreless for the game's final 6:34 to clinch the tournament title and a perfect 7-0 start.
Stanford also received goals from Cassie Churnside, Kelsey Holshouser and Kim Krueger in the contest.
In the morning session, Stanford received an early challenge from No. 7 San Jose State, which trailed only 3-2 after one period, and 7-5 at halftime. But in the second half, Baldoni and the Cardinal defense would buckle down, limiting the Spartans to just one goal in the final 16 minutes while the offense, led by Dries' hat trick and a pair of goals each from Menon, Steffens, and Kim Krueger, found the back of the cage eight times to account for the 15-6 win.
Churnside, Eaton, Holshouser, Vee Dunlevie, Victoria Kennedy and Alex Koran would all find the net as well against the Spartans.
San Jose State - 2 3 0 1 = 6
Stanford - 3 4 3 5 = 15
Stanford Goal Scorers: Dries 3, Krueger 2, Menon 2, Steffens 2, Churnside, Dunlevie, Eaton, Holshouser, Kennedy, Koran
San Jose State Goal Scorers: Curran 2, Methvin, Natalizio, Waasted, Vogt
Goalie Saves: Baldoni 10 (S); Lewis 3 (SJSU)
California - 1 2 3 1 = 7
Stanford - 0 4 5 1 = 10
Stanford Goal Scorers: Eaton 2, Menon 2, Seidemann 2, Churnside, Holshouser, Krueger, Steffens
California Goal Scorers: Csikos 3, Dodson, Hewko, Ochsner, Oreglia
Goalie Saves: Oland 6 (S); Peckham 6 (C)