IRVINE, Calif. - No. 1 Stanford produced a pair of dominant defensive performances on Saturday at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational, defeating No. 7 Long Beach State 19-7 and No. 4 California 11-6.
Advancing to Sunday's final against the winner of UCLA/USC, Stanford (11-0) is looking to repeat as tournament champion and capture the crown for a sixth time overall.
Stanford's defense remained on point throughout the day, allowing seven goals or fewer for the fifth straight game. The Cardinal has also held its opponent scoreless over at least an eight-minute stretch in six games this season.
No. 1 Stanford 19, No. 7 Long Beach State 7
Lexi Rowell and Ryann Neushul recorded hat tricks, leading Stanford to a 19-7 win over Long Beach State in its first matchup of the day.
Stanford received goals from 10 different players, racing out to a 7-2 advantage after the opening quarter and building a 10-4 lead at intermission.
The Cardinal held a 40-23 shot edge and converted 5-of-11 opportunities on the power play.
Jewel Roemer finished with three assists while Ella Woodhead attempted a game-high six shots.
Katie Lyons' first goal of the game at the 5:33 mark of the third period gave Stanford its first double-digit lead at 14-4.
Maya Avital started and covered the first three periods, making three saves. Jackie King closed out the final quarter while coming up with three saves.
Stanford Goals: Ryann Neushul (3), Lexi Rowell (3), Aria Fischer (2), Katie Lyons (2), Jewel Roemer (2), Sophie Wallace (2), Ella Woodhead (2), Jenna Flynn (1), Skyler Jones (1), Sam Sternfels (1).
No. 1 Stanford 11, No. 4 California 6
Aria Fischer and Ryann Neushul scored three goals apiece, leading Stanford to an 11-6 victory over California in the semifinal round.
Stanford, which has won 12 of the last 13 meetings in the rivalry series since 2018, has also defeated California three times in a season for the first time since 2019.
Maya Avital came up big in goal once again, making 13 saves. In her last five games against the Golden Bears, Avital has recorded at least 10 saves on four occasions, including a career-high 16 on Feb. 5, 2022.
The Golden Bears owned a 31-24 advantage in shots, but converted only 19.4 percent of their chances. The Cardinal shot 45.8 percent overall and scored four of its goals on the power play.
Tied 3-3 with 3:22 remaining in the second period, Stanford ripped off four unanswered goals to take control and entered the final stanza with a 9-4 lead.
Fischer scored three more goals, moving into eighth place on Stanford's all-time career goals scored list with 184 and passing Annika Dries.
Stanford Goals: Aria Fischer (3), Ryann Neushul (3), Jewel Roemer (2), Sophie Wallace (2), Jenna Flynn (1).