STANFORD, Calif. – Ashley Grossman, Dani Jackovich and Kiley Neushul each posted hat tricks, Gabby Stone made a career-high 15 saves and the No. 2 Stanford women’s water polo closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 14-3 win over No. 11 UC Davis at Avery Aquatic Center on Sunday afternoon.
With her seventh hat trick of the season, Neushul became the fourth Cardinal (17-1, 2-0 MPSF) and 38th player in MPSF history, to score 200 in a career. Melissa Seidemann (239), Lauren Silver (239) and Ellen Estes (214) are the others to have reached the mark during their playing careers at Stanford.
In addition to Neuhsul’s milestone, junior Anna Yelizarova’s goal with just three seconds left in the game was the 100th of her career. She joined teammates Neushul (200), Grossman (155) and Maggie Steffens (143) as Stanford’s active goal scorers in triple digits.
Stone’s 15 saves were not only a career high, but tied for the fourth-highest single-game total in the MPSF this season.
Dani Jackovich was the first of Stanford’s hat trick trio to notch her three goals, doing so in the first quarter. She first scored off an assist from Grossman at 4:02, put home a 6-on-5 tally at 3:02 and wrapped up her offensive output with an even-strength score at 1:37.
It was Jackovich’s fourth hat trick of the season and second in as many games at Avery after scoring four in the fourth quarter against Harvard on March 20.
The sophomore’s first-quarter scores on Sunday were bolstered by goals from Neushul (6:01) and Grossman (5:10) to put the Cardinal on top 5-1 after one.
Neushul secured her second at 5:29 in the second quarter and Grossman did the same at 4:01 off an assist from freshman Jordan Raney.
Stanford, up 7-2 at halftime, put home another seven in the second half while only surrendering one third-quarter goal to UC Davis (14-11, 0-2 Big West). Grossman led things off for the Cardinal nearly halfway through the period when Jamie Neushul lofted a pass in front to Grossman, who swatted the ball through to the back cage in one motion for her third and final goal of the afternoon.
Freshman Katie Dudley added one at 3:52 off an assist from Kiley Neushul before Stanford’s senior hit her milestone goal with 2:20 on the clock in the third quarter.
In the fourth, Gurpreet Sohi got her 21st goal of the season off a cross-cage pass from Rachel Johnson (6:21). Cassidy Papa’s lob with 5:20 to go found its way over the outstretched arms of UC Davis’ Olivia Husted before Shannon Cleary (1:46) and Anna Yelizarova (0:03) wrapped up the day’s action for Stanford.
Stanford returns to the pool on Saturday, April 4 at 1 p.m. when it hosts No. 9 San Jose State (18-7, 0-3 MPSF) at Avery Aquatic Center. The game will begin the Cardinal’s stretch of four consecutive league contests to close out its regular-season.
No. 2 Stanford at No. 11 UC Davis
March 29, 2015 • Stanford, Calif.
UCD 1 – 1 – 1 – 0 = 3
STAN 5 – 2 – 3– 4 = 14
UC Davis Goals: Allyson Hansen, Keelia Houston, Carla Tocchini
UC Davis Saves: Jillian Wilding 3, Haley Cameron 4, Olivia Husted 1
Stanford Goals: Ashley Grossman 3, Dani Jackovich 3, Kiley Neushul 3, Shannon Cleary, Katie Dudley, Cassidy Papa, Gurpreet Sohi, Anna Yelizarova
Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 15