SAN JOSE - No. 2 Stanford led from start to finish and Aria Fischer produced four goals and three assists, fueling Stanford to its second straight MPSF title with a 12-7 victory over No. 1 USC on Sunday afternoon.
Stanford (21-1, 5-1 MPSF) claimed the conference's automatic NCAA bid and will likely receive the No. 1 overall seed when the NCAA Championships get underway May 12-14 in Stockton, Calif.
The Cardinal repeated as MPSF champions for the second time in school history (2000-01) and captured its seventh conference title overall, having also won the crown in 2014, 2006 and 2003.
Fischer's standout performance led the way for the Cardinal, which also received multi-goal efforts from Jenna Flynn, Jewel Roemer and Sophie Wallace.
Sunday's contest was yet another highly-anticipated matchup between the nation's top two programs, as Stanford and USC (26-2, 6-0 MPSF) have combined to win the last 12 NCAA titles.
However, the Cardinal has held the upper hand recently, winning five of the last seven meetings, including a 10-7 triumph in the 2022 NCAA final.
Stanford set the tone early, claiming a 5-1 lead by the end of the first period. Two of those goals came from Fischer while Christina Hicks gave the Cardinal some extra breathing room with a clutch goal right before the horn.
After USC scored to open the second period, Ryann Neushul converted a 6-on-5 opportunity at the 6:40 mark to keep momentum with Stanford.
Leading 7-4 at halftime, Stanford continued to press offensively and close gaps defensively, scoring five second-half goals and limiting USC to three scores.
The Cardinal's defense continued its strong play, allowing fewer than 10 goals for the 19th time this season. Maya Avital anchored the defense with nine saves in goal.
NCAA selections will be announced on Monday at 5 p.m.
Stanford Goals: Aria Fischer (4), Jenna Flynn (2), Jewel Roemer (2), Sophie Wallace (2), Christina Hicks (1), Ryann Neushul (1).