STANFORD, Calif. - In a hotly contested rematch of last year's NCAA first round bout, No. 15 Denver held on to take down No. 14 Stanford, 8-6. The Cardinal fall to 1-2 while the Pioneers improve to 2-0 on the season.
Stanford jumped out to an early 3-1 lead after the first quarter. Sarah Jaques, Annabel Frist, and Galen Lew all got onto the score sheet during the first period with Frist notching her 10th goal of the season in only her third career game.
Ashley Humphrey set up the opening goal of the game when she found Jaques just 1:10 into the first quarter. Humphrey also provided the offensive output in the second quarter, assisting the first and then scoring the second Cardinal goal.
This marked the third straight game where Humphrey led the team in points and assists. Her two assists on the night moved her season total to a conference-leading 15, 10 more than the next player.
The Pioneers were able to score twice in the second quarter as well, making it a 5-3 Cardinal lead heading into halftime.
Defensively, Stanford effectively slowed a Denver attack that scored 19 goals in its season opener. The Cardinal also won nine draw controls during the contest, one more than the opposition.
In goal, Kara Rahaim continued her stellar start to the season, recording 10 saves on the evening. She currently has the best save percentage in the Pac-12 at 50%.
Despite the defensive efficiency, Stanford was unable to hold onto its two goal lead. In the third quarter, Denver found its footing offensively, tallying three goals while successfully stifling the Stanford attack.
Caitlin Chicoski was able to pull one back for the Cardinal in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough as the Pioneers held on to win the game.
The Cardinal will be back in action next weekend, taking on Richmond on February 25 at 9 a.m. PT. Stanford will face Virgina on February 27 at 8 a.m. PT to finish off the second road trip of the season.