STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford scored twice in the opening 20 minutes and controlled the run of play the remainder of the game to earn a 2-1 victory against Colorado on Friday evening.
Stanford alumna and U.S. Women's National Team member Kelley O'Hara ('10) gave the team a surprise pregame speech as the team's honorary captain that seemed to resonate with the Cardinal (12-2, 6-0 Pac-12). Stanford started strong, and despite allowing an own goal in the sixth minute, the Cardinal responded immediately with two scores of its own.
Tegan McGrady leveled the score in the 12th minute when she outleapt the Buffaloes (7-6-2, 1-4-1 Pac-12) goalkeeper to head in her second goal of the year. Michelle Xiao chased the ball down in the right corner of the field and sent a pass to Laura Liedle who lofted in a cross to the 6-yard box to McGrady for the goal.
Mariah Lee scored less than seven minutes later to put Stanford up 2-1. Xiao beat her defender and sent in a hard low cross from the left side of the 18-yard box directly to Lee's foot at two yards out. Lee tapped in the pass to give Stanford the lead.
Stanford maintained a majority of the possession throughout the game but had to battle for it against a physical Colorado team. The Cardinal held advantages in shots (14-1) and corner kicks (9-1).
The Cardinal defense did well to keep the Buffaloes out of the 18-yard box and generate Stanford's attack from the back. It's one lapse came in the sixth minute when Colorado earned a free kick and sent a ball into the box that hit off a Stanford defender's head and landed in the back of the net. It is the first own-goal for Stanford this season.
The victory concludes a three-game homestand for the Cardinal, which will travel to Washington State and Washington next weekend. Both games will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
O'Hara was an honorary captain and delivered a surprise pregame speech to the team. (Photo by David Kiefer)
Cardinal Notes
- Stanford improved to 7-0 all-time against Colorado.
- Xiao's two assists are the first of her collegiate career.
- Underclassmen have accounted for 19 of Stanford's 26 goals this season. Sophomores lead the team with 10 goals, followed by the freshmen (9) juniors (4) and seniors (3).