April 30, 2011
SAN JOSE, Calif. - No. 1 Stanford's record suffered its first blemish of 2011 Saturday in the semifinals of the MPSF Championship at San Jose State, as the Cardinal dropped a 9-8 decision to fourth-seeded UCLA.
The loss sends the Cardinal (24-1) into Sunday's third-place game, in which Stanford will face either California or San Jose State at 1:30 p.m.
A 3-0 surge by the Bruins in the fourth period made the difference in Saturday's contest. After Kaley Dodson's 6-on-5 goal pulled the Cardinal even at 6-6 just 40 seconds into the frame, UCLA scored twice over the next 1:17 then added a third straight goal with 4:16 remaining to go up 9-6.
The Cardinal would surge back into the game as Alyssa Lo and Annika Dries netted their second goals of the game just 25 and 54 seconds later, respectively.
However, Stanford could not complete the comeback over the final 3:22. The Cardinal earned two 6-on-5 power plays, including one with 21 seconds left in the game, but could not equalize.
Dries and Lo each scored twice to lead the Cardinal, while Dodson, Cassie Churnside, Kim Krueger and Melissa Seidemann each added a goal.
In the cage, Amber Oland made seven saves to anchor the Cardinal defense.
Each team scored thrice in a back-and-forth opening period. Dries opened the scoring 1:01 into the game, but the Bruins would answer off the arm of Megan Burmeister. It would go that way the rest of the period, with Stanford inching ahead at 2-1 and 3-2 only for the Bruins to pull even each time.
UCLA would gain the upper hand in the second frame with a pair of goals from Brooke Martin, taking a 5-3 lead that it would hold into halftime as the Cardinal offense failed to find the cage.
But Seidemann and Krueger would get those two goals back for the Cardinal in the opening 2:09 of the third period, making it a 5-5 game. UCLA's Priscilla Orozco would put the Bruins back on top 1:17 later, however, leading to the dramatic fourth period.
UCLA - 3 2 1 3 = 9
Stanford - 3 0 2 3 = 8
Stanford Goal Scorers: Dries 2, Lo 2, Churnside, Dodson, Krueger, Seidemann
UCLA Goal Scorers: Martin 3, Orozco 3, Burmeister, Greenwood, Reynolds
Goalie Saves: Oland 7 (S); Dement 5 (UCLA)