March 2, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Stanford women's lacrosse team defeated No. 13 Ohio State, 12-10, to improve to 2-1 on the season Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
Despite battling challenging weather conditions with snow flurries occurring throughout the game, Stanford (2-1) started the match hot. Rachel Ozer got the Cardinal going, notching the first goal in less than two minutes. Her goal sparked a 4-0 Cardinal run that Ozer capped with her second on the day at the 22:44 mark.
Stanford started strong on defense as well, holding Ohio State (2-3) scoreless until almost 14 minutes into the half when Buckeyes junior Katie Chase converted a free-position shot.
Ozer would not be denied, however, and responded with her third and fourth goals on the day to expand Stanford's lead to 6-1. Ozer has been an offensive force this season, racking up 13 points on eight goals and five assists in just three games. She also picked up two ground balls and caused a turnover against Ohio State.
"She had a nose for the net today," said Stanford head coach Amy Bokker. "She's an awesome dodger, one of the best in the country, and she had great movement and was a finisher today."
The Buckeyes would close the gap with two consecutive goals to cut the lead in half, 6-3. Stanford responded with two goals of its own from freshman Adrienne Anderson and sophomore Hannah Farr.
Ohio State picked up two more tallies before Kyle Fraser notched her second goal on the day with just one second remaining in the first half to put Stanford up, 9-5.
Fraser had a terrific game, tying Ozer for the most points on the day with four. Fraser tallied her second consecutive hat trick and added an assist.
"She was really poised under the pressure Ohio State put on her and made the most of her opportunities," said Bokker.
The second half was more of a defensive battle between the teams with just eight combined goals scored, compared to the 14 in the first half.
Junior goalkeeper Lyndsey Munoz played a large role in Stanford's defensive effort recording six of her nine saves in the second half. Bokker was happy with Munoz's performance and commended her junior netminder for making crucial saves in key moments throughout the game.
Megan Lerner continued to be a vacuum on defense picking up five ground balls and a draw control. She leads the team with 13 draw controls and is tied with Munoz for nine ground balls.
Bokker added she was happy with her team's hard work in pressuring Ohio State's clearances and believes Stanford's swarming defensive effort was a key component in the victory.
Stanford will return home for a matchup against Georgetown on Tuesday, March 5 at 4 p.m. at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium. Bokker is happy with where her team is at and looks forward to continuing the challenging non conference schedule.
"We're playing another great opponent so hopefully this win will give us some momentum going into that match," said Bokker.