BERKELEY, Calif. – Tanner Beason collected his first career brace and No. 18 Stanford continued its offensive surge to beat Cal for the eighth consecutive time on Sunday, 4-2.
Stanford's passing and movement in the final third has kicked into high gear since entering conference play. The Cardinal (6-1-3, 3-0-0), which had scored seven goals in its first seven matches of the season, has put in 10 in its first three Pac-12 contests, surpassing the previous program record of nine (2017, 2001). Stanford's four goals against Cal were also the most in its series with the Bears (5-4-2, 1-2-0) since a 6-1 victory late in 2012.
Stanford, up a pair at halftime, had its lead cut to a single goal twice in the second half, but had an answer each time. Cal scored its first in the 54th minute when Simon Lekressner whipped a cross into the box. There were a few Bears in the general vicinity running at the face of goal and as Adam Mosharrafa attempted to clear it, the ball hopped up and hit off his shin and into the back of the net for an own goal.
The mishit was no matter and the Cardinal seized momentum back in the 67th minute when Derek Waldeck lined up to take one of his team's six corners on the afternoon. The left-footed service into the box, skimmed right over the head of Collin Liberty and was timed perfectly by Beason, who knocked it past Noah Texter for his second of the day to push Stanford's lead back to two, 3-1.
Cal again had some hope in the 76th minute when Tommy Williamson's shot was initially saved by Andrew Thomas, only to have the rebound fall right to Samuel Ebstein. Ebstein scored easily and the Bears were given new life, down just 3-2.
That was the cue for Zach Ryan to end any hope Cal had of ending its five-year losing streak to the Cardinal. It was a moment of brilliance from the redshirt freshman, who held up his defender, took Charlie Wehan's pass at the top of the box in the 83rd minute, turned to his left and hammered in an exquisite strike to the top left corner.
What an answer.
— Stanford Men's Soccer (@StanfordMSoccer) October 8, 2018
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The victory was Stanford's ninth in a row in conference and extended its league unbeaten streak to 14 matches. The Cardinal is now also unbeaten in its last 11 Pac-12 road games despite surrendering two goals for the first time in more than a year (Sept. 23, 2017).
Stanford had scored all six of its goals last weekend in the second halves of wins over San Diego State and UCLA and flipped the script a bit in Berkeley, scoring twice in the first 45 minutes to take that two-goal lead into the break. Amir Bashti nabbed his fifth in the past five games in the 27th, taking a pass from Wehan and beating Drake Callender with a low shot to the far post.
Five goals in his last five games.
— Stanford Men's Soccer (@StanfordMSoccer) October 7, 2018
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Callender played the first half in goal for Cal and Texter the second.
Beason, the Pac-12 leader in assists, put his name in the scoring column for the first time by burying a penalty in the 33rd. Cal's Christopher Grey inadvertently knocked down an Amir Bashti cross with right hand to set up Beason's attempt.
Stanford is on the road against next week, beginning with a game at Oregon State on Thursday at 6 p.m.