April 11, 2010
HONOLULU, Hawaii - Second-ranked Stanford women's water polo closed out its trip to the tropics Sunday evening with a 10-6 victory over No. 5 Hawai'i. The victory kept the Cardinal's MPSF record perfect at 5-0 heading into its final two regular-season contests.
Stanford (20-1, 5-0 MPSF) returns home for its final two weekends of the regular season, beginning the homestand with the Big Splash next Saturday, April 17 at 6 p.m. against California.
Senior Kelly Eaton scored four goals to pace all players, while freshman two-meter Annika Dries also posted a hat trick with three goals. Kim Krueger, Pallavi Menon and Melissa Seidemann each added a goal.
In the cage, Amber Oland stopped nine Rainbow Wahine shots and kept the Hawaiian offense in check as the Cardinal built a big early lead.
The contest actually started off with Hawai'i grabbing a 1-0 lead, as Carmen Eggens gave the Rainbow Wahine the first lead just 59 seconds into the contest. But the Cardinal would answer back at 4:09, as Eaton scored the first of Stanford's three goals over a span of 2:24 in the first period. Eaton added the second goal and Seidemann scored the third to complete the run. With 41 seconds remaining, the Cardinal drew a five-meter penalty, which Dries buried to give Stanford a 4-1 lead that held until the end of the frame.
Each team scored twice in the second period, as the Cardinal maintained its three-goal lead. The second half got started with Eaton's third goal just 39 seconds into the frame, but the Rainbow Wahine would quickly answer with a pair of goals to cut the deficit to two at 7-5 with 6:04 to go in the third period.
Stanford would re-establish its four-goal lead late in the frame as Dries and Krueger found the back of the cage in the period's final minute. In the fourth quarter, Eaton would cash in for the fourth time to give Stanford a 10-6 lead just 34 seconds into the frame, and the Rainbow Wahine would manage just one more the rest of the way as the Cardinal collected the win.
Stanford - 4 2 3 1 = 10
Hawai'i - 1 2 2 1 = 6
Stanford Goal Scorers: Eaton 4, Dries 3, Krueger, Menon, Seidemann
Hawai'i Goal Scorers: Hanson-Swaner 2, M. Eggens 2, C. Eggens, Genee
Goalie Saves: Oland 9 (S); Bredin 6 (H)