STANFORD, Calif. – Playing with just 12 players and no goalkeeper, Stanford field hockey dropped a defensive battle to California, 1-0, on Friday night at the Varsity Field Hockey Turf.
Stanford outshot Cal on the evening and limited the Bears to just two shots in a determined defensive effort. Two of the Cardinal's three shots forced saves, while Molly Redgrove earned a defensive save with a diving effort in the second quarter.
"The girls showed so much grit today, it was so awesome to finally get out here and play a game," said head coach Roz Ellis, who coached her first game at Stanford. "We've been training for 10 days, haven't had everyone here, and we went over a few principles of play and they just nailed them today. I was so impressed with their communication, their hard work and the heart they played with, and we were close. This is just the beginning."
The Cardinal saw two shots on frame in the opening period, with Cara Sambeth and Megan Frost firing towards goal. Redgrove's defensive save came in the second quarter, brushing away an attempt from the right side.
"We had 11 field players and no goalie, and I think it showed the fight of this team in only allowing two shots," said Frost. "We had the momentum, and it's unfortunate, but we have our heads up. Going forward there is a lot of potential here, it's a great base to start at. I'm super excited to see what this team is capable of. I think we can work on our attack, but our defense was phenomenal."
The Bears got on the board with its only goal in the 42nd minute, and held on over the final 18 minutes to secure the win, which snapped a seven-game skid to Stanford in the series.
Stanford returns to action on Monday, August 30 against No. 10 Liberty. Action gets away at 1 p.m., and will be streamed live at Pac-12.com.