Stanford (15-1, 1-0 MPSF)
Statistics
SHORTENED SEASONStanford's finished its 2020 campaign with a 15-1 overall record and a 1-0 mark in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) before the season was shortened by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The defending national champion Cardinal was ranked in the top-two of the national rankings the entire season, at one point rising to No. 1 for a two-week stretch. Stanford was entering the heart of conference play, having just defeated No. 6 Arizona State, before the season was canceled.
CLUTCH MOMENTSDespite playing just over half its season, Stanford continued its tradition of consistency and efficiency in high pressure situations. The Cardinal was 6-0 in matches decided by three or less goals, tallying six victories in such games for the second season in a row. Five of those victories came against teams ranked in the nation's top-10.
ALL-AMERICA HAULThe Cardinal totaled at least four All-Americans for the 16th straight season, as Emalia Eichelberger, Sarah Klass, Hannah Shabb and Hannah Constandse earned honors from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC). Both Eichelberger and Klass were named to the first team, while Shabb landed on the second team and Constandse picked up honorable mention accolades.
The Cardinal picks up 4?? All-America honorees from the ACWPC!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/3wH3X7Wt6v
— Stanford Women's Water Polo (@Stanfordh2opolo) April 27, 2020
BETTER WITH TIMEOne key to Stanford's success in 2020 was its ability to lockdown another team's offense as a match wore on. The Cardinal allowed just 19 goals on the season in the fourth quarter, holding its opponent to one goal or less in the final eight minutes 13 times, including four shutouts.
AT AVERYAfter going 3-0 at home in 2020, Stanford is 114-10 at Avery since 2008.
CONFERENCE HONORSFor the seventh time in the last eight years, Stanford featured at least five MPSF All-Conference honorees, including both Sarah Klass and Emalia Eichelberger on the first team, Hannah Shabb on the second team, Chloe Harbilas named honorable mention, and Hannah Constandse landing on the All-Newcomer Team.
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATEReturning just one of the team's top five scorers from the 2019 national championship team, the Cardinal was faced with the task of looking to new faces to produce offensively. Three returning players increased their scoring output from last season, despite playing only a fraction of the games, and Stanford featured three freshmen with double digit goals, led by 24 from Hannah Constandse, who led the MPSF with an average of 1.44 assists per game.
HEAD OF THE KLASSSarah Klass was Stanford's offensive leader in 2020, leading the Cardinal with 41 goals scored in 16 games. That total ranked tied for third in the MPSF in goals scored this season, while her 52 points ranked fifth in the league. Klass also served as Stanford's primarily sprinter, winning 45 of her 55 attempts, the best percentage of any player in the MPSF with over 10 tries. Klass scored in 14 of Stanford's 16 matches, including 12 multi-goal performances, and was twice named the MPSF Player of the Week. Her season-high of five goals came in a 19-9 victory over No. 12 UC Davis in January.
SOLID IN NETEmalia Eichelberger, now a two-time All-American, played in 11 games as the Cardinal's primary goalkeeper, finishing the year with 102 saves, leading the MPSF with an average of 10.69 per game. She finished her junior campaign allowing 71 goals in over 38 quarters of game action for a goals against average of just under 7.5 per game. Eichelberger saved a season-high 15 shots in Stanford's victory over No. 12 Fresno State in February and featured three double-digit save performances on the year.
NOT TOO SHABBYAn All-American for the first time in her career, Shabb ranked third for the Cardinal, scoring 26 goals in 2020. Shabb's best performance of the season came in the final match of the year, as the senior scored five times in a one-goal victory over No. 6 Arizona State on March 8, earning MPSF Player of the Week honors for her efforts. She was a consistent attacker for the Cardinal, scoring in 13 matches, including eight multi-goal performances and also earned her stripes as a pesky defender, tied for fourth in the MPSF with 23 steals on the year, averaging 1.44 per game.
Hannah Shabb, for the win!#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/38PijxydaK
— Stanford Women's Water Polo (@Stanfordh2opolo) March 8, 2020
STRENGTH IN NUMBERSStanford hosted another successful alumni game in the fall, welcoming back 28 former players to Avery Aquatic Center!
A post shared by Stanford Women's Water Polo (@stanfordh2opolo) on Jan 28, 2020 at 2:47pm PST