NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Stanford lacrosse team will attempt to continue the momentum built from its 3-0 start when the Cardinal travels to Vanderbilt for a Sunday nonconference game. Stanford has risen to No. 11 in the IWLCA rankings following a pair of victories over top-20 teams, Notre Dame and Ohio State. Vanderbilt (3-2) should provide a strong challenging, especially in light of last year’s game, won 16-15 by Vanderbilt in overtime at Stanford when the Card was ranked No. 13.
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The following is a closer look at Sunday’s game:
Who: No. 11 Stanford (3-0) at Vanderbilt (3-2)
When: Sunday, 11 a.m. PT (1 p.m. CT)
Where: Vanderbilt Soccer/Lacrosse Complex (2,400)
All-Time Series Record: Vanderbilt leads, 6-5
Live Stats: Look for links at GoStanford.com
Webcast: Click here
Forecast: Mostly cloudy with a high of 51.
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2015 So Far: Stanford has earned back-to-back victories over ranked teams, beating then-No. 12 Notre Dame at home and then-No. 10 Ohio State on the road, both by 12-10 scores. Sophomore Kelsey Murray scored five against Ohio State, matching her total in the opener against Fresno State. 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. 11.
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Murray on a Tear: Sophomore Kelsey Murray has scored five goals in two of her first three games, in an opening 22-7 victory over Fresno State and then in a 12-10 triumph at No. 10 Ohio State. 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 five consecutive games dating back to last season -- the longest steak on the team. She also has the longest points streak, with a goal or assist in 17 consecutive games. In 22 collegiate games, Murray has a point in 20 of them. Hannah Farr has the second-longest points streak, at seven. Lucy Dikeou is second in consecutive games with a goal, at three.
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Sunday’s Opponent, Vanderbilt: The Commodores (3-2) return home after a 12-11 loss at current No. 13 Pennsylvania last week. Vanderbilt is coming off a 5-12 season, going 2-4 in the American Lacrosse Conference. This year, the Commodores will play in the Big East. Junior attack Mallory Schonk leads the team in scoring with 17 goals and 26 points and is among four players with at least 12 goals. Vanderbilt is No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big East in draw controls, averaging 16.6 per game.
The Stanford-Vanderbilt Series: This game is a rematch of last year’s thriller that resulted in a 16-15 overtime victory for Vanderbilt. The Cardinal built a 14-9 lead with 15:07 to go in the second half, but Vanderbilt (3-2) scored five answered goals to close out regulation and two goals in the final 34 seconds of overtime to win. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series, 6-5. This is the sixth consecutive year of the series, with Stanford holding a 3-2 edge in that stretch. In 2013, Kyle Fraser and Rachel Ozer scored two goals apiece to lead Stanford to a 15-4 victory in Nashville.
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Stanford in the Rankings:
IWLCA coaches: No. 11
Brine media poll: No. 11
Lacrosse Magazine: No. 9
Lax Power computer: No. 7