Card Can Secure Top Seed

DAVIS, Calif. – The Stanford women’s lacrosse team can clinch the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular-season title with a victory tonight at UC Davis. The No. 15 Cardinal (11-2 overall) is, at 7-0, the only undefeated team remaining in MPSF play.

Stanford needs only to win one of its remaining two games – against the Aggies (3-12, 2-5) and at Cal (3-12, 2-6) on Sunday – to secure the top seed in the MPSF tournament (April 30-May 3 in Denver) and for the right to host the conference tournament next season.

The following is a closer look at Wednesday’s game:

Who: No. 15 Stanford (11-2, 7-0) vs. UC Davis (3-12, 2-5)
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.  
Where: Aggie Stadium, Davis, Calif.
All-Time Series Record: Stanford leads, 24-4
Live Stats: Click here
Webcast: Click here
Twitter: @stanfordwlax

Week in Review: In a showdown for first place, Stanford downed visiting USC, 12-6, on Sunday to close in on its first MPSF regular-season title since 2011. It completed a big weekend that began with a 22-10 running-clock victory over third-place San Diego State on Friday. Lucy Dikeou recorded four goals in each game, including a natural hat trick over an early six-minute span against USC.

She had 10 draws, four caused turnovers, and three ground balls for the week. Allie DaCar made a career-high 14 saves along with five ground balls against USC, and Adrienne Anderson held Michaela Michael (USC, MPSF leading scorer) and Christina Ricciardulli (SDSU leading scorer) to a combined two goals and no assists.

The Stanford-UC Davis Series: Stanford leads the all-time series, 24-4. Last year, Stanford built an 8-1 lead in the first 12 minutes on the way to an 18-6 victory at Stanford. In their most recent meeting in Davis, Stanford’s 19-game winning streak in the series was broken in 2013, in a 15-14 loss. Elizabeth Datino scored with 2.5 seconds left in overtime for the winner. It also was the first time UCD had ever beaten a team ranked in the IWLCA Top 20.

A Stanford victory would … :
1)    Clinch the MPSF regular-season title.
2)    Earn the top seed for the MPSF tournament.
3)    Enable Stanford to play host to the 2016 MPSF tournament.
4)    Enhance its chances of an NCAA at-large berth, if need be.

Stanford clinches the regular-season and top seed …
1)    By beating UC Davis Wednesday.
2)    Or, by beating Cal on Sunday
3)    Or, if San Diego State beats visiting USC on Saturday.