STANFORD, Calif. – No. 10 Stanford will look to continue its three-game winning streak this weekend taking on Central Michigan and No. 8 Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.
It will be the Cardinal’s (3-1, 0-0 NorPac) first road trip of the season and the third consecutive weekend facing an opponent ranked in the top-20.
The Cardinal opens the weekend slate on Saturday against Central Michigan (2-2, 0-0 Mid-American) at 12 p.m. PT. The Chippewas dropped both of their matches last weekend to Delaware and Lafayette. Central Michigan fell behind Delaware early and was unable to eliminate the deficit, dropping the decision 4-2. The Chippewas responded with a strong effort against Lafayette, but a goal with just under nine minutes to play was the difference as Central Michigan was dealt a 3-2 loss.
Less than 24 hours later, Stanford will take on No. 8 Iowa (3-1, 0-0 Big Ten) at 11 a.m. PT. The Hawkeyes went 1-1 this past weekend, shutting out Wake Forest 2-0 and falling to top-ranked North Carolina, 3-1. Iowa capitalized on a 17-3 shot advantage against Wake Forest to claim its second shutout on the year. Hawkeye goalkeeper Kelsey Boyce recorded a career-best eight saves, but two first-half goals were too much to overcome as North Carolina handed Iowa its first loss of the season.
Stanford earned a pair of convincing victories last weekend against No. 20 New Hampshire, 5-1, followed by a 2-0 shutout against VCU.
Four different Cardinal scored goals against New Hampshire, with Kelsey Harbin scoring twice, followed by Hope Burke and Courtney Haldeman with a goal apiece. Stanford outshot New Hampshire 19-5 and held a 13-2 penalty corner advantage. The win marked head coach Tara Danielson’s 50th victory during her tenure on The Farm.
The Cardinal continued to roll against VCU, picking up its third consecutive win in dominating fashion. Stanford did not allow a single VCU shot or penalty corner. Clemence Couteau scored the game-winner, while Haldeman netted her second of the weekend to secure the victory. It was the first time the Cardinal held an opponent to zero shots since Oct. 14, 2005, when the Cardinal owned a 40-0 shot advantage in a 3-0 shutout of Longwood at the Varsity Turf.
After a strong start in which Stanford’s only loss came in double-overtime against No. 4 Connecticut, the Cardinal has moved up to 10th in the NFHCA poll – its first trip to the top-10 since November 2011. It’s been a team effort with eight Cardinal players recording goals and 10 with at least a point.
Dulcie Davies has been strong in net and boasts a 1.17 GAA, which ranks 12th in the nation. Davies was awarded the NorPac West Division Defensive Player of the Week honor after holding opponents to just one goal over the weekend. Fran Tew also earned NorPac recognition as the Rookie of the Week after scoring her first career goal against No. 20 New Hampshire.