IRVINE, Calif. – Stanford split a pair of 7-6 final scores at the UC Irvine Invitational on Sunday. The No. 1 Cardinal defeated No. 4 California, 7-6, but absorbed its first loss of 2015 in the tournament championship in the early evening, 7-6 to No. 2 UCLA.
The loss snapped Stanford’s 27-game overall winning streak and its string of four consecutive victories over UCLA. The Bruins are the only team to defeat the Cardinal in the past two seasons. Stanford’s last loss came at this same event a season ago in the semifinals to UCLA on Feb. 23, 9-6. Stanford would go on to win its final 16 games in 2014 and claim its third national championship in the past four seasons.
It’s the second time in the past month that the Bruins and Cardinal have met for a pre-conference tournament championship. Stanford won its home invitational with a 10-6 victory over UCLA on Feb. 1. Today’s results were the first time this season the Cardinal had not scored at least 10 goals in a game.
The Cardinal returns to action with its first televised game of the season on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 26 at 3:30 p.m. against Santa Clara at Avery Aquatic Center. Immediately following that contest on Pac-12 Networks, Stanford will match up with Sonoma State at 5:15 p.m.
No. 1 Stanford 7 – No. 4 California 6
A massive third quarter earned Stanford the 7-6 win over Cal in the UC Irvine Invitational semifinals. Trailing 4-2 at the half, the Cardinal exploded for five goals coming out of the break and held the Golden Bears to just two second-half scores to ensure victory.
Maggie Steffens scored the second of her three goals with 7:03 on the clock in the third when her skip shot evaded Cal’s goalkeeper. Thirty seconds later a Cal foul turned it over and led to a score from Kiley Neushul (6:32), which evened up the game 4-4.
Stanford took its first lead at 4:33 when Cal lost an entry pass and Jordan Raney ended up on the other end and deposited her shot inside left post to put the Cardinal up 5-4.
Cal brought itself even at 2:57 before Kiley Neushul found Maggie Steffens on the doorstep for a goal (2:30) and Jamie Neushul converted her second of the game a minute later (1:37).
The Golden Bears would score just once in the fourth and Stanford advanced with the 7-6 win. Maggie Steffens led the way with her second hat trick of the weekend and third of the season. Jamie Neushul tallied her third multi-goal game of 2015 and Gabby Stone made 10 saves for the third time this season.
No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 4 California
Feb. 22, 2015 • Irvine, Calif.
CAL 2 – 2 – 1 – 1 = 6
STAN 1 – 1 – 5 – 0 = 7
California Goals: Loughlin 2, Tarrago, Saunders, McKee, Smiley
California Saves: Trabucco 9
Stanford Goals: Maggie Steffens 3, Jamie Neushul 2, Kiley Neushul, Jordan Raney
Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 10
No. 2 UCLA 7 – No. 1 Stanford 6 [OT]
Stanford’s first loss in nearly a year came at the hands of No. 2 UCLA in the UC Irvine Invitational Championship, 7-6 in overtime. Neither school was able to get more than one goal clear of the other.
The Bruins earned the result after a late skip from downtown in the first overtime and a one-timer at 1:42 in the second nudged UCLA ahead.
Kiley Neushul and Maggie Steffens scored twice each for Stanford. Following a Jamie Neushul skip score that brought Stanford even, 1-1, at 2:38 in the first, the elder Neushul and Steffens alternated goals throughout the remainder of regulation before the teams entered overtime deadlocked 5-5.
Neushul blasted a skip from center at 1:32 in the first. UCLA scored the only goal of the second quarter, but Steffens started the third with a whip-around rocket buried top left (6:22).
Two more Bruins’ tallies pulled them ahead 4-3 entering the fourth quarter. Neushul answered a UCLA foul with a score from five meters (5:13) and after another Bruin tally, Maggie Steffens tied things up yet again when she was fed by Neushul hanging on the post with 3:25 remaining in the fourth.
Jordan Raney cranked a skip between UCLA’s Sami Hill and the near post for Stanford’s only goal of the overtime periods.
Gabby Stone made seven saves in the cage for the Cardinal.
No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 2 UCLA
Feb. 22, 2015 • Irvine, Calif.
UCLA 1 – 1 – 2 – 1 – 1 – 1 = 7
STAN 2 – 0 – 1 – 2 – 1 – 0 = 6
UCLA Goals: Pratt 3, Williams 2, Barr, K. Hill
UCLA Saves: Hill 8
Stanford Goals: Kiley Neushul 2, Maggie Steffens 2, Jamie Neushul, Jordan Raney
Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 7