STANFORD, Calif, - Stanford completed its 2016 regular season campaign boasting a 13-3 overall and 8-1 MPSF record to head into this weekend’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament as the No. 2 seed.
The Cardinal will host this year’s tournament with all games being played at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium. Stanford will vie for its 10th MPSF title in 12 years and will first face either Colorado or Oregon Friday at 7 p.m. PT. Stanford has reached every conference tournament final over the past 18 years, dating back through three conferences.
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MPSF Tournament at Stanford University:
Thursday
First round
No. 3 Colorado (12-4) defeated No. 6 Oregon (9-7) - 11-3
No. 5 Denver (8-8) defeated No. 4 UC Davis (7-7) - 15-4
Friday
Semifinals
No. 1 USC (17-0) vs. Denver (9-8), 4 p.m.
No. 2 Stanford (13-3) vs. Colorado (13-4) , 7 p.m.
Sunday
Championship
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m. PT
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Tickets are available at $10 for adults and $5 for children and can be purchased in advance here or at the Cagan box office. All seats are general admission.
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History Repeats: The Cardinal posseses an incredible postseason history in conference action, going to the last 18 championship games...a stat which spans three conferences. It’s history in the last 18 years (former conferences in parenthesis):
2015: Stanford 16, USC 11
2014: Denver 14, Stanford 11
2013: Stanford 7, Denver 6
2012: Oregon 13, Stanford 10
2011: Stanford 12, Oregon 10
2010: Stanford 11, Denver 10 (2OT)
2009: Stanford 18, California 13
2008: Stanford 9, Denver 8
2007: Stanford 12, Denver 11
2006: Stanford 12, Denver 6
2005: Stanford 12, California 9
2004: California 11, Stanford 10
2003 (MPLL): Stanford 15, California 14
2002 (MPLL): Stanford 16, California 7
2001 (WWLL): Stanford 11, California 6
2000 (WWLL): Stanford 12, UC Davis 9
1999 (WWLL): Stanford 11, UC Davis 7
1998 (WWLL): Stanford 10, UC Davis 8
Semifinal Opponent:
Colorado: Stanford leads the all-time series, 5-0, after a 12-10 win at home this season. The ‘Buffs would also be a rematch in Stanford’s MPSF Semifinal game last year as well that the Card won 16-5. The real Buffalo hunter for the Cardinal is Kelly Myers. She put away three goals against CU this season and SIX against them in the MPSF semifinal last year. Should Colorado advance past Oregon Thursday the semifinal meeting with Stanford would be their third consecutive MPSF semifinal meeting.
Possible Championship Opponents:
Battle of Troy: Meeting for only the 6th time in program history, the Cardinal currently holds a 3-2 record over USC. The Women of Troy just recently snapped Stanford’s 18 game winning streak in conference play in a nailbiting 10-9 game in the L.A. Coliseum.
Denver: Meeting for the 28th time in program history the Cardinal holds a 19-8 record.
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Quick Draw McGraws: The Cardinal has proven one thing this season, when it comes to draw controls, it puts its money where its mouth is. Stanford currently leads the nation in draw controls per game with a 14.93 average.
We all know possession is 9/10ths of the law, but it’s also key in winning for the Cardinal. When it outdraws its opponents, Stanford is undefeated at 10-0. Granted it isn’t out of it as in the four games it was outdrawn it holds a 2-2 record (Defeated Johns Hopkins and Colorado, lost to Stony Brook and USC).
All tied up in draws? 0-1 (Notre Dame)
Bring Your Green Hat Snoop-A-Loop...We’re Going Streaking! A fun fact to know about the Cardinal in the confines of Cagan Stadium: it hasn’t lost at Cagan in 12 straight games. Bring on the Cagan cagematch!
Offense May Win Games, but Defense...Stanford heads into Friday’s game with one of the best defenses in the NCAA clocking in at 19th with a 7.81 average.
Special situations:
• When scoring first: 13-2
• When the opponent scores first: 0-1
• When leading at halftime: 11-1
• When trailing at halftime: 0-2
• When tied at halftime: 2-0
• When leading with 10 minutes left: 13-0
• When trailing with 10 minutes left: 0-3
• When tied with 10 minutes left: 0-0
• In overtime: 1-0
• Largest deficit: 10 goals -- 14-4 to Stony Brook, in second half.
• Record when holding opponents to 10 or fewer goals: 10-1
• Record when scoring 10 or more goals: 10-0