STANFORD, Calif. – Junior Amy Sayer scored a pair of goals to guide No. 13 Stanford (3-0-0) to a 5-1 victory over UC Santa Barbara (0-3-1) on Sunday afternoon from Cagan Stadium.
Sayer got the Cardinal on the board first in the 21st minute, settling a cross from Paige Rubinstein that hit off UCSB goalkeeper Evann Smith's glove. Sayer brought the ball down and quickly fired a shot into the open net.
The native of Sydney, Australia made it 2-0 in the 30th minute when she headed home a cross from freshman Allie Montoya.
The multi-goal game is the first of Sayer's career, while a Cardinal has managed a brace in each of the first three matches – Samantha Williams vs. Sacramento State on August 18 and Lumi Kostmayer at San Francisco on August 25.
With two goals on Sunday, Sayer is now tied for the team lead with three on the year.
Senior Katie Duong extended the Cardinal lead to 3-0 before half – lunging to put away her first goal of the season in the 39th minute. Freshman Logan Smith earned the assist after beating her defender and sending a cross into the box that ping-ponged around before finding the foot of Duong.
Maya Doms also scored her first of the season on Sunday, with assists going to Sierra Enge and Julia Leontini in that 58th-minute score. Enge sent a ball into Leontini who spun and flicked a pass on to Doms who was sprinting through the back line. Doms received the pass and was one-on-one with the keeper, lacing a shot past the goalie and into the top of the net.
Having not allowed a goal in the first two matches of the year, Stanford finally broke down in the 78th minute when Audrey Nowacek sent a long ball toward a sprinting Claire Grouwinkel down the right side. Grouwinkel got a step on the Cardinal defense and beat Stanford keeper Ryan Campbell for her first of the season.
Responding right away, Abby Greubel got the fifth and final goal for the Cardinal in the 80th minute, fielding a cross from Catherine Paulson and one-timing a left-footed volley past the keeper for her first score of the season.
UCSB managed just four shots in the match, with Campbell making one save. Stanford put up 27 shots, including 16 on frame, and forced Smith into 10 saves.
The Cardinal will now prepare to host No. 10 Penn State on Thursday, September 1 at 7 p.m.