March 10, 2012
HONOLULU, Hawai'i - A trip to the tropics was made even sweeter Saturday as second-ranked Stanford scored eight second-half goals to claim a 12-4 MPSF victory over host Hawai'i.
The win improved Stanford's overall mark to 14-1 and gave the Cardinal its second conference win in as many tries. The Cardinal takes a two-week break for final exams before returning to action March 25 at UC Santa Barbara.
Saturday, seniors Pallavi Menon and Cassie Churnside paced the Cardinal's big second half, scoring two goals apiece as Stanford outscored Hawai'i 8-1 to break open what had been a 4-3 game at halftime.
Menon and Churnside were joined by freshman Kiley Neushul, who posted a hat trick, with multiple goals on the scoresheet. Monica Coughlan, Kaley Dodson, Ashley Grossman, Alexis Lee and Kaitlyn Lo all added goals.
Goalie Kate Baldoni anchored a defense that locked down the Rainbow Wahine over the final 16 minutes, allowing just one goal after halftime. Baldoni made six saves in the contest.
In what has been a rare occurrence this season, Stanford found itself behind just 1:02 into the contest as Hawai'i's Monique Wilson fired home for the early 1-0 lead. Dodson would pull the Cardinal even with 4:13 to go in the period, but the first frame would end with the teams deadlocked at one goal apiece.
Stanford would take the lead twice in the second period, the first time just 36 seconds into the frame with a power-play goal from Coughlan, and the next thanks behind the arm of Neushul. But each time, the Rainbow Wahine had an answer within a minute and a half. The Cardinal, though, would get the final word in the half as Neushul put Stanford in front, 4-3, 1:20 before the break.
The lead doubled as Churnside scored just 29 seconds into the second half to start what would be an 8-0 run. Lee scored with 6:15 to go in the frame and Menon got on the board with her two goals at the 5:17 and 0:27 marks of the period, putting the Cardinal in firm control at 8-3.
Baldoni made a pair of saves in each period of the second half, highlighting a Cardinal defensive effort that held the Rainbow Wahine scoreless from the 3:30 mark of the second period until Emily Carr scored with 1:28 to play, a span of 18:02.
Neushul, Grossman, Churnside and Lo would net goals in the fourth period to make it 12-3 in favor of the Cardinal before Carr scored the Rainbow Wahine's lone goal of the half.
Stanford - 1 3 4 4 = 12
Hawai'i - 1 2 0 1 = 4
Stanford Goal Scorers: Neushul 3, Churnside 2, Menon 2, Coughlan, K. Dodson, Grossman, Lee, K. Lo
Hawai'i Goal Scorers: Carr, Genee, Lopes da Silva, Wilson
Goalie Saves: Baldoni 6 (S); Reid 4 (H)