STANFORD, Calif. – Lo’eau LaBonta’s penalty kick in the 24th minute was enough to lift No. 3-ranked Stanford to a 1-0 victory over Arkansas in the second round of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament on Friday night at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.
The victory sends Stanford (19-1-2) into a third-round, or Sweet Sixteen, home match against Washington on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Huskies (14-6-2) advanced with a 1-0 overtime victory over Missouri in Friday’s second-round doubleheader opener on the same field.
Stanford earned its 16th shutout this season in a match that seemed closer than the Cardinal’s 24-6 shot advantage might indicate. Arkansas (9-7-6) threatened at times and the match seemed in doubt until the final whistle.
“They were a well-organized team,” Stanford coach Paul Ratcliffe said. “Their goalkeeper was good and I thought we had some good chances we just didn’t put away … I’m happy to advance.”
The goal was set up when Taylor Uhl was fouled hard in the box at 23:13, and LaBonta buried a high shot for her team-leading 12th goal this season.
“Washington was sitting in the corner yelling, ‘She’s going right,’” LaBonta said. “So, I said, ‘All right. I’m going to drive it left then.’ Why not?”
Stanford had some trouble building its possession game, but repeatedly found tons of space for players like Andi Sullivan and LaBonta to race down the field. However, the final pass or shot was not quite enough to break through the Razorbacks’ defense.
“Our defending was quite good,” Arkansas coach Colby Hale said. “The problem was, all we were doing was defending. Overall, we created some nervy moments. We thought a set piece, a throw, a corner, we might get a chance. We knew it would be a massive challenge, but we thought we were up for it and, honestly, we were pretty pleased with the effort.”
Arkansas often went the direct route, firing long balls downfield and had the size to cause problems. But central defenders Maddie Bauer and Kendall Romine played well to prevent Arkansas from penetrating the heart of the Cardinal defense.
“Maddie and Kendall had strong performances,” Ratcliffe said. “Their mentality was strong, they were winning 50-50 balls, aerial balls and their distribution was solid. They had composure bringing the ball forward and making good decisions. That’s what we ask of them.”
Stanford sophomore goalkeeper Jane Campbell also played well, tipping one shot over the bar. She made three saves while earning her 13th shutout of the season and 19th of her career, tying her with Carly Smolak (1997-2000) for sixth on the all-time Stanford list.
Stanford extended its home winning streak in NCAA play to 23 matches, while earning its 11th shutout in 13 home contests.
“We’re definitely reaching our peak,” LaBonta said. “It’s playoff time and our seniors are like, ‘We’re not going home, we’re not going to lose.’ We’ve come together as a team, instead of as individuals.”
* * *
| Arkansas | 0 | 0 | -- | 0 |
| Stanford | 0 | 1 | -- | 1 |
Scoring: Stanford -- Lo'eau LaBonta (penalty kick), 23:13.
Records: Stanford 19-1-2, Arkansas 9-7-6.