STANFORD, Calif. – Top-seeded Stanford eased past Seattle University on Friday night with a 3-0 win to open the NCAA Championship Tournament on Friday night at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.
"I thought it was solid team performance, and it's always nice to get a clean sheet, especially in the postseason," said the Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe. "It's great to see Carly Malatskey get a goal, but we hope to improve our finishing as we move forward."
The Cardinal (18-0-2) did not allow a single shot on target from the Redhawks (10-8-3) and were led by Civana Kuhlmann, who finished with the game-winning goal. Stanford's program-record unbeaten streak stretches to 42 games, the sixth-longest in NCAA Division I history.
WATCH | @cmalatskey becomes Stanford's 17th different goalscorer in 2018 with an EMPHATIC finish to cap a 3-0 win against Seattle U. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/7crIhAvoOc
— Stanford Women's Soccer (@StanfordWSoccer) November 10, 2018
Kuhlmann also caused the second goal, an own goal as a result of her brilliant skill on the wing and ensuing cross to the near post. Malatskey scored her first career goal in the dying embers of the game, and Catarina Macario and Naomi Girma added assists.
Stanford seized the lead in the 18th minute courtesy of Kuhlmann. Girma, surging forward from her deep starting position, dribbled past multiple Redhawks before slotting a perfectly-weighted ball into the path of Kuhlmann. Kuhlmann collected the ball before firing a shot past Ariana Romero inside the near post.
The Redhawks' best chance of the night came in the 25th minute when a miscommunication at the back allowed Leahi Manthei space to shoot in the box, but her attempt trickled wide of Jahansouz's net. After Jaye Boissiere and Macario checked in one minute later, Stanford pushed on for a second goal until the halftime whistle.
Boissiere and Sam Hiatt each rattled the woodwork in quick succession in the 30th minute, and Girma's one-timed effort, after a beautiful feed from Kuhlmann, was pushed on to the crossbar by Romero in the 38th minute. After the break, DiBiasi and Kiki Pickett had chances to double the lead in the 48th minute, but their shots were blocked.
The Cardinal got its second goal in the 52nd minute, an own goal. Kuhlmann faced up to goal on the right flank, beating her marker with a superb piece of skill before crossing toward the area of Michelle Xiao, whose defender redirected it past Romero inside the far post.
Carly Malatskey's first career goal in the 90th minute put a cap on the win. After Macario's shot was saved onto the post, the ball fell to Malatskey, whose vicious shot fizzed past a helpless Romero – Malatskey is Stanford's 17th different goal scorer in 2018.
Stanford outshot Seattle 24-3, including a 7-0 advantage in shots on goal. Kuhlmann led the Cardinal with six shots while DiBiasi and Macario had four apiece. Jahansouz was not tested in net but was calm on the ball throughout as Stanford enjoyed a vast majority of possession.
The Cardinal's second-round opponent will be determined Saturday after Clemson and Ole Miss face off. Stanford will play host to three teams for the second and third rounds next week, with the Cardinal's second-round match kicking off on Friday at 7 p.m.
Cardinal Notes
- Stanford's 42-game unbeaten streak is the sixth-longest in NCAA history, dating to Aug. 25, 2017. It is the longest streak since UCLA went 44 games unbeaten from 2013-14. During the streak, Stanford is outscoring opponents 134-15.
- The Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe improves his postseason record to 44-11-4.
- Alana Cook and DiBiasi are the only Cardinal to start all 20 games this season.