STANFORD, Calif. - No. 3 Stanford survived a marathon, back-and-forth game with No. 6 Long Beach State on Wednesday night, outlasting its opponent 15-14 in overtime.
The win pushes the Cardinal to 10-0 on the year heading into the MPSF Invitational this weekend in Berkeley.
No. 3 Stanford 15 - No. 6 Long Beach State 14 (OT)
Settling into the game, Stanford fought back from two minor deficits early on, eventually overtaking Long Beach 3-2 after a goal from Quinn Woodhead just over halfway into the first period. The Cardinal found its rhythm after being down 2-1, scoring four straight, highlighted by a missile from redshirt senior Spencer Nelson to go up 5-2.
Powerplay proved vital to Stanford, as four of its first seven goals were scored in man-up advantages. Additionally, Stanford relied heavily on the use of its 2-meter position, as Beck Jurasius and Ike Love combined to score seven of the Cardinal's 15 goals in total.
After building a 7-4 lead, the Beach slowly chipped away, scoring just before the half to cut the deficit to 7-6 at the break.
LBSU carried its momentum from the first half into the second, scoring the first two goals of the period to take an 8-7 lead. When put under pressure, Stanford responded in stride going to the center for back-to-back goals from Andrew Churukian and Love after a tying strike from Tyler Abramson to reclaim its lead.
Heading into the fourth, Stanford appeared to be in firm control, holding the Beach at arms length. The Cardinal held a 13-10 lead with 6:07 to play, but the visitors refused to lie down. LBSU tied the game at 13-13 with 16 seconds to play, and Stanford couldn't get a shot off in the final seconds, venturing into overtime.
There, a tight first stanza culminated in a penalty goal from Quinn Woodhead to take the 14-13 advantage. The Stanford defense stiffened and allowed for an insurance goal from Jurasius, his fourth of the night, that would prove to be the winner after a late LBSU goal.
No. 3 Stanford vs. No. 6 Long Beach State
Sept. 22, 2021 • Stanford, Calif.
LBSU 3 – 3 – 3 – 4 – 0 – 1 = 14
STAN 5 – 2 – 5 – 1 – 1 – 1 = 15
Long Beach State Goals: Aaron Arias (4), Matt Morris (3), Rafael Real Vergara (3), Theodoros Pateros (2), Evan Cain (1), Connor Mannion (1)
Stanford Goals: Beck Jurasius (4), Ike Love (3), Quinn Woodhead (3), Tyler Abramson (1), Andrew Churukian (1), Spencer Nelson (1), Jackson Painter (1), Walker Seymour (1)
Saves: Nolan Krutonog (11), Andrej Bosanac (9)
