CORVALLIS, Ore. - Stanford grabbed the early lead, but three first-half goals in response from Oregon State were enough for the Beavers to defeat the No. 5 Cardinal, 3-2, on Saturday evening.
Stanford still has an opportunity for a Pac-12 championship in its regular season finale next weekend, hosting No. 7 Washington on Saturday, April 7 at 12:30 p.m.
The Cardinal struck first, in the third minute, on an impressive offensive run from Will Richmond to Zach Ryan, who scored his ninth of the season for the 1-0 lead.
The lead didn't last long, as the nation's leading goal scorer from Oregon State, Amanda Gloire, equalized in the ninth minute. The Beavers got another just five minutes later for the 2-1 lead.
Stanford peppered four more shots in, but it was OSU again, in the 41st minute, pushing its lead to 3-1 at the break.
The Cardinal cut the lead in half early in the second period, as Will Richmond floated a dangerous ball into the box from the left flank that was bounced in off the Oregon State defense.
Stanford dominated in the offensive third the remainder of the game, seeking the equalizer, but couldn't find the final touch into the back of the net. The Cardinal outshot OSU 11-1in the final 45 minutes of action, but had to settle for the 3-2 defeat. Andrew Thomas notched two saves in the loss.
