SAN JOSE, Calif. – The top-ranked Stanford women’s water polo team opened up its 2015 season with a pair of exhibition victories over China and Brazil at the LouStrong Memorial Tournament hosted by San Jose State on Friday. The Cardinal took down the Chinese, 10-6, to kick off the morning and defeated Brazil in the early afternoon, 13-6.
The events served as a precursor to the beginning of Stanford’s title defense. The Cardinal, which will attempt to win its fourth national championship in the past five seasons in 2015, opens collegiate competition tomorrow with games against Pacific (9:20 a.m.) and Cal State Monterey Bay (1:20 p.m.) in San Jose.
As of the most recent FINA Water Polo World Rankings, China is No. 2 in the world and Brazil is No. 14.
Additionally, Stanford earned the top spot in the 2015 Women's Varsity National Top 20 Preseason Poll released on Friday. The first seven positions in the preseason top 10 reflect the order of finish from the 2014 season as Stanford (98 points), UCLA (94 points), USC (90 points), California (88 points), Arizona State (80 points), UC Irvine(76 points) and San Jose State (69 points) will open the season at No. 1-to-7, respectively.
No. 1 Stanford 10 – China 6
In the morning against China, Stanford dominated the first and fourth quarters to secure the 10-6 victory. Ashley Grossman, Jamie Neushul and Kiley Neushul each scored twice for the Cardinal, which never trailed against the world’s No. 2 team.
Stanford came out on fire once the ball dropped, scoring four goals in the first quarter without surrendering a single tally. Jamie Neushul led things off with a power-play score at 5:50 and was backed up with a goal from Gurpreet Sohi less than a minute later (5:11).
Ashley Grossman scored her first of two with 3:12 left in the first and Kiley Neushul capped off the opening frame with another exclusion goal for the Cardinal with 47 seconds remaining in the period.
China responded in the second and scored the first four of the quarter to knot things up, 4-4, with 1:41 until the break. But Jamie Neushul answered for the Cardinal, scoring with 35 ticks until the horn, to break the deadlock and give Stanford a 5-4 edge heading into intermission.
Each side scored once in the third quarter, Stanford on a goal from Anna Yelizarova (4:38) and China on a 6-on-5 score from Song Donglun (6:27), before the Cardinal ran away with things in the fourth.
Up 6-5 heading into the final frame, Maggie Steffens (7:32), Grossman (6:56), Kiley Neushul (6:33) and Rachel Johnson (4:06) each rattled the cage for the Cardinal to put the game out of reach. China ended the game with an exclusion goal from Wang Xinyan (3:36) to make the final score 10-6.
Gabby Stone played all four quarters in the cage for Stanford and made 13 saves. Both Stanford and China converted two of their seven 6-on-5 opportunities.
No. 1 Stanford vs. China
Jan. 16, 2015 • San Jose, Calif.
CHINA 0 – 4 – 1 – 1 = 6
STAN 4 – 1 – 1 – 4 = 10
China Goals: Xiong Dunhan, Sun Yujun, Song Donglun, Zhang Cong, Zhao Zihan, Wang Xinyan
China Saves: Yang Jun 11
Stanford Goals: Ashley Grossman 2, Jamie Neushul 2, Kiley Neushul 2, Rachel Johnson, Gurpreet Sohi, Maggie Steffens, Anna Yelizarova
Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 13
Tomorrow is day 2 at SJSU with official games vs @PacTigersH2O at 9:20 & @CSUMB at 1:20. #loutully #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/diGjsY8yRS
— Stanford Water Polo (@Stanfordh2opolo) January 17, 2015
No. 1 Stanford 13 – Brazil 6
Stanford received hat tricks from both Ashley Grossman and Kiley Neushul, as well as goals from freshmen Natalie Chun, Lauren Norheim and Jordan Raney, and dispatched Brazil 13-6 in the afternoon.
Another strong first quarter saw the Cardinal rattle the cage five times while only allowing two goals. Maggie Steffens scored both of her goals in the frame and Kiley Neushul put home two of her three in the opening period as well.
Grossman rounded out Stanford’s offense in the first eight minutes of action and was solely responsible for it in the second, tallying the only goals of the quarter, both at full strength, at 6:24 and 4:14.
Stanford’s 7-2 lead at halftime ballooned to as large as eight with the freshman Norheim scored with 1:56 left in the third to make it 11-3 Cardinal. Fellow freshmen Raney (penalty; 6:17) and Chun (2:20) scored their first goals in a Cardinal cap in the fourth to seal the victory.
Gabby Stone played the first two quarters in the cage and made six saves before giving way to Emily Dorst, who also made six stops in the third and fourth quarters.
No. 1 Stanford vs. Brazil
Jan. 16, 2015 • San Jose, Calif.
BRAZIL 2 – 0 – 2 – 2 = 6
STAN 5 – 2 – 4 – 2 = 13
Brazil Goals: Diana Abla 2, Mirella Coutinho 2, Melanie Dias, Mariana Roge
Brazil Saves: Tess Oliviera 7, Manuela Canetti 2
Stanford Goals: Ashley Grossman 3, Kiley Neushul 3, Maggie Steffens 2, Natalie Chun, Rachel Johnson, Sophia Monaghan, Lauren Norheim, Jordan Raney
Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 6, Emily Dorst 6