Feb. 11, 2012
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Freshmen Kiley Neushul and Ashley Grossman and junior Jillian Garton combined to score 10 goals as top-ranked Stanford women's water polo captured a 13-5 win at No. 8 San Jose State Saturday.
Stanford (7-0, 1-0 MPSF) opened the MPSF season with a victory, and will return to action next Saturday, Feb. 18 with a non-conference game at Santa Clara at 3 p.m.
Neushul scored all four of her goals in the second half, including the first two in the third period which helped Stanford take control with a 7-3 lead. Grossman netted thrice, with her first two goals coming in the second frame to break a 3-3 tie and give the Cardinal a 5-3 halftime edge.
Garton found the net in the first period as Stanford jumped to a 2-0 lead, then found the back of the cage twice more in the second half during the Cardinal's game-changing 7-0 run that extended over 17:37 spanning the second through fourth periods.
Kate Baldoni made eight saves in the contest, anchoring the defense during its run, to help ensure the conference-opening win.
Senior Alyssa Lo opened the game with a power-play goal at the 5:06 mark before Garton doubled the advantage two minutes later. San Jose State would answer with Dani Curran's penalty shot before Cassie Churnside got Stanford's lead back to two at 3-1 23 seconds later.
The Spartans would claw back with goals from Katie Buzetta and Anna Natalizio either side of the period break, making it a 3-3 game early in the second period. But this was when the Cardinal found its fifth gear, as Grossman opened up the eventual 7-0 run with goals just two minutes apart in the middle of the frame.
Leading 5-3 as the second half got underway, Neushul got her name on the scoresheet just 25 seconds into the period, then added a power-play score three minutes later to double the Cardinal's lead. Garton cashed in with goals bridging the end of the third and beginning of the fourth frames, before Grossman made it 10-3 with 4:54 remaining.
San Jose State would get on the board twice more, but two more from Neushul and a final score from Kaitlyn Lo sealed the victory for Stanford.
Stanford - 3 2 3 5 = 13
San Jose State - 2 1 0 2 = 5
Stanford Goal Scorers: Neushul 4, Grossman 3, Garton 3, Churnside, A. Lo, K. Lo
San Jose State Goal Scorers: Curran 2, Buzetta, Henry, Natalizio
Goalie Saves: Baldoni 8 (S); Minson 10 (SJSU)