LOS ANGELES – Five Cardinal scored two goals apiece and No. 2 Stanford led wire-to-wire to beat No. 1 USC 12-8 on Saturday evening and snap the Trojans' NCAA-record 52-match winning streak.
It was a complete effort for the Cardinal (17-1, 4-0 MPSF). Katie Dudley, Makenzie Fischer, Dani Jackovich, Jamie Neushul and Jordan Raney paced a multi-faceted attack with two-score efforts, Gabby Stone made 11 saves on 21 shot attempts (.524) and Maggie Steffens had four of Stanford's five steals as the Cardinal held USC to three goals on nine power-play opportunities.
USC (25-1, 3-1 MPSF) hadn't lost since May 9, 2015 when Stanford won 9-8 in an NCAA semifinal at Avery Aquatic Center. It was also the first time a road team has won at Uytengsu Aquatics Center since the Cardinal did so on March 8, 2015 (12-9).
Makenzie Fischer keyed a strong start for Stanford, scoring two of her team's first three goals. The Cardinal drew an exclusion in transition and Fischer skipped it in right after the sides came even at 6:57 in the first quarter. She tacked on another more than five minutes later after Stone made a save and pushed ahead to the freshman streaking up the right side of the pool.
Fischer's two first-quarter scores sandwiched a back-hand, inside-water lob from Jamie Neushul at 5:56 and one of Brigitta Games' game-high three goals for USC with 3:57 on the clock.
The offenses exploded in the second, each scoring four times. With the shot clock down to three on Stanford's first possession of the period, Jordan Raney fired from distance and scored (7:07). Stephania Haralabidis bagged USC's second at 6:37, but the Cardinal forged ahead with two more from Katie Dudley and Madison Berggren to go up 6-2.
Dudley took a one-touch pass from Raney on the doorstep in the 6-on-5 (4:45) and Berggren was money with a lefty lob (4:07) the next time down the pool.
Games was good again after fighting for position in front at 3:36, but Neushul pegged one to the inside post from eight meters out 30 seconds later to increase Stanford's lead to 7-3.
The Trojans weren't dead in the water, scoring three unanswered to pull to within one, 7-6, at 2:28 in the third.
Raney ended what was a nine-minute scoreless drought for the Cardinal when she settled at the top of Stanford's offensive set, pumped and scored with 2:01 on the clock. Her goal ignited a five-score run that put the game away.
Steffens rattled the cage with 17 ticks left in the third and then Jackovich went back-to-back to begin the fourth. She started with a back-handed strike that was her 100th career goal and then skipped home No. 101 after finding some space in front midway through the final frame. Fellow Midwesterner Katie Dudley was calm while draped by a pair of USC defenders, gripped it and ripped it past keeper Amanda Longan for Stanford's final score with 4:09 to go.
The Trojans' Games and Ioanna Harlabidis tacked on a couple of late goals with the result already in hand.
Stanford will have another showdown for first place in the MPSF when it hosts UCLA (18-1, 4-0 MPSF) next Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in a game that is part of the department's Cardinalpalooza festivities.
No. 2 Stanford at No. 1 USC
April 8, 2017 • Los Angeles, Calif.
USC 1 – 4 – 1 – 2 = 8
STAN 3 – 4 – 2 – 3 = 12
Stanford Goals: Katie Dudley 2, Makenzie Fischer 2, Dani Jackovich 2, Jamie Neushul 2, Jordan Raney 2, Madison Berggren, Maggie Steffens
Stanford Saves: Gabby Stone 11
USC Goals: Brigitta Games 3, Ioanna Haralabidis 2, Stephania Haralabidis, Denise Mammolito, Hayley McKelvey
USC Saves: Amanda Longan 7