March 6, 2011
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Top-ranked Stanford women's water polo overcame a slow start Sunday by scoring seven second-half goals to run its season-opening winning streak to 15 games with an 11-3 win at No. 11 Long Beach State.
Stanford (15-0) will take the next two weeks off for final exams before returning to action March 19, when the Cardinal travels to Tempe to continue MPSF play at Arizona State.
Alyssa Lo scored three goals, all in the second half, to pace the Cardinal. Annika Dries and Jillian Garton each scored twice while individual goals were scored by Kaley Dodson, Kim Krueger, Pallavi Menon and Lexie Ross.
Goalie Kate Baldoni's defensive prowess kept Stanford in the game early on, as the high-scoring Cardinal offense went scoreless over the game's first 9:17. Long Beach State got on the board with 2:05 to go in the first period thanks to a goal from Julia Garyfallou, but that would be all Baldoni would allow in that opening eight minutes.
The offense came around just after the second half got underway, as Dodson, Dries and Garton all scored in a span of 4:31 to give Stanford a 3-1 lead. Chelsea Parks would get one back for the 49ers with 1:41 to go in the half, but Menon answered just 12 seconds later, and Stanford would hold a 4-2 lead at the break.
Lo and Dries scored within 41 seconds of each other just before the midway point of the third frame, giving the Cardinal some breathing room at 6-2. After the 49ers would make it 6-3 with 3:20 to go in the half, Stanford would go on to score five straight goals the rest of the way while holding Long Beach State off the board.
Goals from Krueger and Garton answered the 49er goal to make it 8-3 heading into the fourth period. Lo would then close the book on the 49ers with a pair of goals to start the final frame.
Stanford - 0 4 4 3 = 11
Long Beach State - 1 1 1 0 = 3
Stanford Goal Scorers: A. Lo 3, Dries 2, Garton 2, Dodson, Krueger, Menon, Ross
Long Beach State Goal Scorers: Garyfallou, Parks, Sieprath
Goalie Saves: Baldoni (S); Stragier 10 (LBSU)