Sept. 12, 2010
STANFORD, Calif. - No. 2 Stanford got goals from four players on the way to a 4-0 victory over Pacific on Sunday at the Stanford Nike Invitational, capturing the title of the four-team tournament over two other ranked teams.
Stanford (4-0-2) extended its home winning streak to 24 and its home unbeaten streak to 28 by earning a 2-0 record in the event. No. 9 Santa Clara, which tied No. 23 Georgia, 1-1, finished second at 1-0-1.
Stanford built a 3-0 first-half lead on the strength of goals by Mariah Nogueira, Allison McCann, and Teresa Noyola. Sophomore defender Rachel Quon struck in the 58th minute for her first collegiate goal, and Nogueira and McCann also scored for the first time this season.
Christen Press supplied the first two assists, giving her 35 for her career and allowing her to move from fourth to second on Stanford's career list. Press trails only Marcie Ward (2000-04), who has 40.
With two goals Friday in a 2-1 overtime comeback victory over Georgia, and six points this weekend, Press moves to fourth on Stanford's all-time scoring list. With 135 points (including 50 goals), Press closes in on Julie Foudy (137 points) at No. 3.
Stanford outshot Pacific (2-4-1), 24-5, and didn't allow a shot until 81:13, even while substituting liberally.
"Today was a good performance," Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. "We looked sharp. I was really happy with the result, and the way we played. And the goals we scored, they were first-rate goals."
The scoring began in the 17th minute when Press supplied a high diagonal pass from behind the box. Nogueira, a sophomore who scored five goals last year, pushed the ball wide of the defender shot across the goal mouth from a sharp angle, just inside the far left post.
Noyola was next, with her third of the year, in the 23rd minute. Press centered the ball from the right to Noyola, who scored from close range.
McCann, a senior captain and midfielder, scored her first goal since 2008 and her second as a collegian, when Noyola patiently waited on the right side to deliver a centering pass to an onrushing McCann, who scored on a first-timer in the 30th minute.
"My times in the box are usually few and fleeting," McCann said. "But this was right there, easy for me to finish."
Quon got hers on a nice build up from the back. Using a series of short passes to wind its way up the field, Stanford found room on a short pass from Noyola to the defender overlapping into the box.
"Today was really good," McCann said. "We wanted to come out and get a decisive win, and a shutout."
Freshman goalkeeper Emily Oliver received her first collegiate start and combined with Lindsay Dickerson, who entered midway through the second half, on Stanford's first shutout of the season.
"In the Georgia game, for whatever reason, we were very flat," Ratcliffe said. "We lacked energy. We definitely talked about that on Saturday, an off day. Today, we came out with positive energy. We looked sharp and we were moving the ball, we created four great opportunities and scored four great goals. It was whole turnaround, a much better mentality."
Stanford next plays at the Santa Clara Classic at Santa Clara University, against unranked Utah on Friday (5 p.m.) and No. 18 Georgetown on Sunday (11 a.m.). It will be the fifth ranked team the Cardinal has played.
Stanford returns home Sept. 23 against Hawaii with a match against No. 4 Portland on Sept. 25 in another 7 p.m. match at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.