TEMPE, Ariz. – Kiley Neushul scored two of her three goals in the fourth quarter to bring No. 1 Stanford within one for the third time, but a late chance on the Cardinal’s last possession hit off the crossbar and No. 4 California escaped the rivals’ MPSF semifinal matchup with an 8-7 victory in Tempe on Saturday afternoon.
Stanford called a timeout with 25 seconds remaining and was able to get a clean look with 16 ticks left when Jamie Neushul went backdoor and lost her defender, but the sophomore’s lob hit off the crossbar. The ricochet found the waiting and open Anna Yelizarova on the opposite side of the cage, but she was unable to handle the rebound with her right hand. Ashley Grossman got a finger on it after a tussle in front during a frantic final seconds, but her attempt was short, Cal gained possession and ran out the clock.
The loss, Stanford’s second of the season, ended the Cardinal’s 10-game winning streak and was its first to the Golden Bears (19-6) since 2000. UCLA (23-2) defeated USC in an earlier semifinal, 9-7, meaning the Trojans (22-4) and Cardinal (21-2) will meet tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. to determine third place. The two have met one other time this season, in their MPSF opener on March 8. Stanford prevailed in overtime, 12-9, in Los Angeles.
An MPSF Tournament title isn’t an indicator of NCAA success, at least for the Cardinal. Despite winning three of the past four national championships, 2014 was the only season in which Stanford won both the league crown and the national one. It finished second in the 2012 MPSF Tournament and third place in 2011 before going on to win NCAA Championships two and three in program history.
Trailing 8-5 with five minutes left, Neushul put home her second of the day on Stanford’s 11th 6-on-5 opportunity. Her shot hit the crossbar and came straight down. Goalkeeper Madeline Trabucco attempted to swipe the ball forward, but the official ruled the goal was good at 4:58.
With 3:06 to go there was another Cal exclusion, this time on Stephanie Mutafyan. Neushul was left alone in the middle and utilized a quick shot after the restart to bring the Cardinal within one, 8-7.
Trabucco made a pair of big saves on attempts from Ashley Grossman a minute apart, staying in the center of the cage with her palm up to deflect a shot far side at 2:05 and then coming back to stop one near side on Stanford’s next possession at 1:02.
Stanford was done in largely by its 6-on-5 opportunities, converting just five of its 12 in the match while Cal went 1-of-4.
The Golden Bears jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first quarter, but the Cardinal got back into it with a pair of second-quarter scores from Maggie Steffens and Yelizarova.
Steffens scored her first of three with 6:12 on the clock following an exclusion drawn by Grossman. Kiley Neushul fed Steffens right in front and the junior pounded it into the cage from point-blank range.
At 3:27, Yelizarova employed her patented no-look shot to make the score 4-3. Looking across the pool she drew Trabucco’s eyes away from her, and used a strong right arm to rip in her attempt through a narrow lane with virtually no shoulder turn.
A Mutafyan goal with 53 seconds until the break made the score 5-3 at intermission, but Stanford again pulled within one coming out of the gate in the third quarter. Cal’s Anna Illes was excluded and Kiley Neushul and Steffens took advantage. The former hit the latter perfectly and with one quick delivery Steffens put the ball away low corner.
Cal closed the third with two goals from Cara Carrega (3:46) and Kelly McKee (2:36), both of which were tipped by a Stanford defender to change their trajectory on the way in.
Steffens led off scoring in the fourth when she received what amounted to an alley-oop from Kiley Neushul while freeing herself at the far post (6:12). McKee scored again for Cal with 5:37 to give the Golden Bears a three-goal lead which proved to be just enough.
No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 4 California
April 25, 2015 • Tempe, Ariz.
CAL 4 – 1 – 2 – 1 = 8
STAN 1 – 2 – 1– 3 = 7
Cal Goals: Carla Carrega 2, Kelly McKee 2, Dora Antal, Stephanie Mutafyan, Sierra Smiley, Roser Tarrago
Cal Saves: Madeline Trabucco 6
Stanford Goals: Kiley Neushul 3, Maggie Steffens 3, Anna Yelizarova
Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 5