Oct. 28, 2011
EAST LANSING, Mich.- No. 9 Stanford took a big step toward solidifying its position as a possible NCAA Tournament at-large team, blanking Michigan State 3-0 on Friday afternoon to open a key two-game road trip.
Stanford (14-2, 6-0 NorPac) now faces No. 7 Michigan on Sunday at 9 a.m. PT to close out the regular season.
The Cardinal, which ranks No. 4 in the RPI, is now 8-2 in games played away from home this year.
Alex McCawley, Hope Burke and Shannon Herold scored goals in Friday's win for Stanford, which held a 19-12 edge in shots.
Michigan State (7-11, 1-4 Big Ten) held a 10-6 advantage in penalty corners.
McCawley's goal opened the scoring in the 31st minute, with a tip-in near the front of the goal following a cross from Courtney Haldeman.
At the 37:22 mark, Hope Burke tallied her seventh goal of the year with a hard shot from the stroke line thanks to a pass from Stephanie Byrne.
With under five minutes remaining, Shannon Herold extended Stanford's lead to 3-0 with her first career goal, as Becky Dru provided the assist.
Ale Moss earned the win in goal, making six saves.
Stanford is now four wins shy of breaking the school record of 17 wins established in 2009.