UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – In its first game in 16 days, national-scoring leader Stanford plays at No. 15 Penn State in a matchup of ranked teams. Stanford (4-0) plays a ranked opponent for the third time in four nonconference games. At No. 9, Stanford has moved up 11 spots since opening with a No. 20 preseason ranking. The Cardinal has beaten Notre Dame and Ohio State in previous top-20 matchups. Stanford leads the nation in goals per game, with 17.0.
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The following is a closer look at Tuesday’s game:
Who: No. 9 Stanford (4-0) at Penn State (6-3)
When: Tuesday, 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET)
Where: Penn State Lacrosse Field (artificial turf)
All-Time Series Record: 0-0
Live Stats: Click here
Webcast (premium): Click here
Forecast: Sunny, 39 degrees at opening draw.
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Stanford in the Rankings:
IWLCA coaches: No. 9
Brine media poll: No. 9
Lacrosse Magazine: No. 10
Laxpower computer: No. 5
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The Trip: Stanford has played only once in 22 days because of Dead Week and finals. Now, during spring break, Stanford is playing two games – Tuesday at Penn State and Friday at Harvard. Stanford returns home for a March 31 game against Cornell.
The Season: Stanford has jumped 11 spots in the IWCLA largely because of its two victories over ranked teams -- No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 12 Ohio State, both by 12-10 scores. Sophomore Kelsey Murray has twice scored five goals and leads the team in goals (15) and points (24). Defensively, Adrienne Anderson has guarded two of the nation’s top players, Notre Dame’s Cortney Fortunato and Ohio State’s Jackie Cifarelli, and held them to a combined one goal and two assists. Freshman Allie DaCar has stepped in at goalie and made that position a strength for the Cardinal, saving eight Notre Dame shots and nine from Ohio State. Stanford has climbed from No. 20 in the IWLCA preseason poll to No. 9.
Murray Scoring Tear: Sophomore Kelsey Murray leads the nation in points per game, with 6.00 and is among the top six in the nation in goals (fourth) and assists (sixth) per game as well. Murray is coming off a seven-point (4 goals, 3 assists) performance against Vanderbilt on March 8. In four games, she has at least three points in all, and five points in three of them. She has two five-goal games – against Fresno State and Ohio State – and leads the Cardinal in goals (15) and points (24). Murray became the first Stanford player since 2010 to score at least five goals in multiple games in the same season. Murray has scored a goal in six consecutive games dating back to last season -- the longest streak on the team. She also has the longest points streak, with a goal or assist in 18 consecutive games. In 23 collegiate games, Murray has a point in 21 of them. Hannah Farr has the second-longest points streak, at eight. Lucy Dikeou is second in consecutive games with a goal, at four.
Highlights from Vanderbilt: In Stanford’s most recent game (March 8), junior Lucy Dikeou scored a career-high six goals – one off the school record – and freshman Kelly Myers broke a Stanford mark with 10 draw controls in the Cardinal’s 22-11 victory on March 8. Myers broke the 2013 mark set by Megan Lerner against San Diego State. It also helped the Cardinal to a dominant 28-7 advantage in draws against a team that entered the game fourth in the nation in draws per game.
National stat rankings (with MPSF rankings in parentheses):
Team:
Scoring offense – 1, 17.00 (1).
Winning percentage – 1, 1.000 (1).
Scoring margin – 4, 7.50 (1)
Draw controls – 4, 15.50 (1)
Individual:
Points per game – 1, Kelsey Murray, 6.00 (1)
Goals per game – 5, Kelsey Murray, 3.75 (1)
18, Lucy Dikeou, 3.25 (3)
Assists per game – 6, Kelsey Murray, 2.25 (1)
Draw controls – 23, Kelly Myers, 4.00 (4)
Tuesday’s opponent, Penn State: The Nittany Lions are 6-3 after a 10-3 victory at Drexel on Sunday. Senior attack Maggie McCormick is sixth in the nation in total assists (19) and 14th in assists per game (2.11). McCormick is on pace to break the school career records in assists, standing second. McCormick and junior midfielder Madison Cyr are on the Tewaaraton watch list, as is Stanford’s Hannah Farr. Penn State, picked to finish third in the Big Ten, has reached three consecutive NCAA tournaments.
The Stanford-Penn State Series: This is their first meeting.