DAVIS, Calif. – First-half strikes from freshman Catarina Macario and junior Averie Collins propelled Stanford to a 2-1 exhibition win over UC Davis on Thursday afternoon at Aggie Soccer Field.
"It was a good first game for us, and a great opportunity for everyone to see the field," said head coach Paul Ratcliffe. "It was nice for us to try out different players in different positions, and it was positive preparation for next week's trip to Wisconsin."
Collins' goal in the 22nd minute proved to be the difference, with the junior firing home from inside the top of the box. Three minutes earlier, Macario, a freshman from San Diego, scored a stunning right-footed goal from just outside the box into the upper left-hand corner. Macario led the Cardinal in shots (5).
Trailing 2-0 inside the final minute, UC Davis scored to cut the deficit in half, but it proved too little, too late. Sophomore Lauren Rood started the match in goal, and was replaced by redshirt junior Alison Jahansouz at the half. Jahansouz registered Stanford's only save of the contest, a brave stop at point-blank range to preserve the 2-0 lead late in the game.
Stanford outshot the Aggies 24-6 while holding a 9-1 advantage in corner kicks. Kyra Carusa added three shots, with Mariah Lee, Alana Cook, Belle Briede and Kiki Pickett pitching in two shots apiece.
Newcomer Sam Hiatt, a sophomore transfer from Boston College, started the game at center back, playing the first 68 minutes before departing. Freshmen Maracio, Briede, Madison Haley, Jojo Harber, Pickett, Sophia Serafin and Civana Kuhlmann each saw their first collegiate action as well.
"We're still working on building up our fitness, but we need to be sharper in passing and sharper in front of goal," said Ratcliffe. "We created a lot of really good chances, so we need to be better at capitalizing on those opportunities."
Stanford opens its regular season next week when it travels to face Marquette on Aug. 18 and Wisconsin on Aug. 20 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Cardinal then travels to Gainesville, Florida, for a matchup against No. 7 Florida. Live statistics will be available for all matches at GoStanford.com.
