Senior Taylor Uhl scored her first goal in a Stanford kit and it was the difference in the second-ranked Cardinal’s 1-0 victory at Connecticut Sunday.
The transfer from Minnesota headed home an offering from Siobhan Cox in the 35th minute and the Cardinal defense, which allowed just one shot on frame from the Huskies, clamped down for its first shutout of the campaign.
Stanford now returns to the West Coast where it will open its home slate Saturday, Aug. 31 with a 7 p.m. match against No. 22 Portland at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.
While the shot margin was 17-12 in favor of the Cardinal Sunday, Stanford put six shots on frame for the match. The Cardinal defense held firm against nine Connecticut shots over the final 45 minutes.
The Cardinal pushed the tempo right from the start Sunday, earning three corner kicks in the opening 20 minutes. Uhl got her head on the second of those corners in the 19th minute but had her shot blocked out for another corner. Courtney Verloo was able to turn a shot from the ensuing offering but saw it saved by Connecticut goalkeeper Emily Armstrong.
In the opposing goal Stanford’s own Emily, Emily Oliver, remained relatively unbothered, called into action only in the 19th minute to save a shot from Samantha McGuire.
Meanwhile Uhl continued to be a presence in the attacking third, forcing a save from Armstrong in the 27th minute then firing wide six minutes later. That elusive first goal of her Cardinal career would finally be nabbed just past the half-hour, as Cox sent a ball into the box which Uhl nodded home to open the scoring.
The Huskies made their push for an equalizer as the second half got underway as McGuire, Rachel Hill and Riley Houle all fired towards net within a span of 1:27 only to have two of the shots blocked and the third go wide. Julie Hubbard and McGuire each fired high just before the hour, but the Cardinal defense continued to deny the Huskies open looks at net. Yet after shots from Andrea Plucenik and Miranda Tarpey went high in the 71st and 72nd minutes, the Cardinal defense clamped down and did not concede a shot for the remaining 18 minutes of regulation.