STANFORD, Calif. - Michelle Xiao, Kyra Carusa and Stephanie Amack scored a goal apiece to lead Stanford to a convincing 3-0 victory against Oregon State on Thursday night.
The Cardinal (10-2, 4-0 Pac-12) scored its first goal in the second minute of the game and never looked back, dominating the pace of play and possession throughout the game. Stanford held advantages in shots (19-5) and corner kicks (4-0).
It is the sixth time in 12 games this season the Cardinal has not allowed its opponent a corner kick. It is the eighth time Stanford has limited its opponent to five or fewer shots.
Stanford got off to a strong start when Tegan McGrady chased down a loose ball in Oregon State's (5-4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) left corner. She sent a cross into the box where Xiao headed in a perfect shot to give the Cardinal the early advantage.
"The fast start really helped," said Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe. "The first goal was fantastic. It was an incredible cross by Tegan, matched by an incredible header from Michelle. That gave us a lot of momentum to start the game."
Stanford continued to apply pressure in the attacking third and was rewarded with its second goal of the half when Ryan Walker-Hartshorn beat her defender on the left-side of the field and slid a pass to Carusa in the center of the box. Carusa took one touch to control the pass, then fired a shot to the top right corner of the goal.
Carusa is tied for the team lead with four goals and has scored in three-of-four Pac-12 contests.
It was much of the same from the Cardinal in the second half, which focused on maintaining possession and building into the attack.
Amack was active on the left sideline consistently throughout the contest and was rewarded for her hard work in the 85th minute. Averie Collins chased down a pass to the Beavers' endline and sent a pass near the penalty spot where Megan Turner was making a run. Turner saw a defender coming and one-touched pass to the top of the 18-yard box.
Amack saw the play developing and stepped forward to Turner's pass and hammered a left-footed strike to the top-left corner of the goal. It is Amack's second goal of the year.
Stanford's defense did well to limit any Oregon State threat in the final third and was a key factor in the Cardinal controlling the pace and possession throughout the game.
"Overall, the thing I'm impressed with the team is that we keep getting better each game," said Ratcliffe. "We're growing and learning from each game, and that's the most important thing – to keep growing and getting better."
The Cardinal will look to keep its momentum going as it continues its homestand Sunday at 5 p.m. (PT) against Oregon.
Cardinal Notes
- Stanford improved to 22-1 against Oregon State and has won each of the past 12 meetings.
- The Cardinal has not allowed a corner kick in 6-of-12 games this season.
- Stanford has limited opponents to five or fewer shots in eight games.
- Underclassmen have accounted for 16 of Stanford's 23 goals this season. Freshmen and sophomores lead the team with eight goals each, followed by the juniors (4) and seniors (3).
- Stanford freshmen have accounted for five game-winning goals this season.