STANFORD, Calif. - Matched up with its stiffest competition to date, No. 3 Stanford continued its unbeaten start to the season, winning two games on Saturday to advance to the championship game of the MPSF Invite. The Cardinal first defeated No. 4 Pacific 11-5 before a dramatic 12-11 win over No. 1 California in the semifinals.
The Cardinal is now 12-0, giving Brian Flacks the best start by a first-year head coach in program history, surpassing Dante Dettamanti's 10-0 start in 1977. Stanford will face UCLA on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the title.
No. 3 Stanford 11 - No. 4 Pacific 5
Facing its highest-ranked opponent to date, Stanford knew it would have to play a strong match. The Cardinal got off to a good start, scoring four of the game's first five goals, all from different players.
The Tigers inched back in the second quarter, outscoring the Cardinal 4-2, making it a 6-5 Stanford lead at the break after Pacific tied the game at five apiece.
The second half belonged to the home team, as Stanford shut out the Tigers from scoring, while notching five goals of its own. Quinn Woodhead showed off his All-American prowess, scoring three goals in the final two periods to ice the victory for the Cardinal. Nolan Krutonog again came up big in goal, tallying 11 saves.
No. 3 Stanford vs. No. 4 Pacific
Sept. 24, 2022 • Stanford, Calif.
UOP 1 – 4 – 0 – 0 = 5
STAN 4 – 2 – 3 – 2 = 11
Pacific Goals: Djorde Stanic (3), Jeremie Cote (1), Mihalio Vukazic (1)
Stanford Goals: Quinn Woodhead (4), Beck Jurasius (1), Jack Martin (1), Jackson Painter (1), Ethan Parrish (1), Riley Pittman (1), Walker Seymour (1), Larsen Weigle (1)
Saves: Nolan Krutonog (11), Bae Fountain (11)
No. 3 Stanford 12 - No. 1 California 11
It was a quintessential MPSF showdown in the second game for the Cardinal, matched up with defending NCAA champion and rival California.
Both teams enjoyed one-goal leads in the first quarter, but neither got ahead more than that, ending the first frame tied at 4-4. It was more of the same in the second quarter, as the lead both tied and flip-flopped, but halftime saw the two knotted 7-7. Stanford had a bevy of chances on the powerplay but were turned away more often than not, but found goals from the perimeter in creative ways.
Jackson Painter gave the Cardinal a 10-9 lead, as Stanford notched two straight scores on the power play, but Cal ended the third quarter with the score again knotted, 10-10.
The fourth period zoomed by, with Stanford controlling time of posession, retaining the ball after saved shots on offense. Larsen Weigle gave the home team an 11-10 lead, but the Golden Bears tied things with over five minutes to play. The deciding goal wouldn't come until the 90-second mark as Painter squared up and fired home his fourth score of the afternoon. Nolan Krutonog continued his strong work in goal, collecting 10 blocks, including four in the fourth quarter alone.
The win is Stanford's second straight over California, as the Cardinal also knocked off the Bears last fall in the MPSF Tournament at Avery when they were ranked No. 1.
No. 3 Stanford vs. No. 1 California
Sept. 24, 2022 • Stanford, Calif.
CAL 4 – 3 – 3 – 1 = 11
STAN 4 – 3 – 3 – 2 = 12
California Goals: Roberto Valera (4), Max Casabella (2), Jack Deely (1), Jake Howerton (1), Nikos Papanikolaou (1), Albert Ponferrada (1), Marton Szatmary (1)
Stanford Goals: Jackson Painter (4), Soren Jensen (2), Quinn Woodhead (2), Andrew Churukian (1), Ethan Parrish (1), Riley Pittman (1), Larsen Weigle (1)
Saves: Nolan Krutonog (10), Adrian Weinberg (14)