STANFORD, Calif. – Trailing 1-0 through the first 70 minutes, No. 6 Stanford (4-0-0) got a goal from Jasmine Aikey that opened the floodgates as the Cardinal stormed back to defeat Saint Mary's (2-2-0) 3-1 on Sunday afternoon from Cagan Stadium.
The sophomore lined up to take Stanford's 10th corner kick of the afternoon in the 71st minute, curling a ball in that beat Saint Mary's goalkeeper Taylor Poland to the upper back corner of the net for an Olimpico goal. The goal was Aikey's team-best third of the season, as she has scored in consecutive games and three of the first four contests.
Stealing the momentum with the match even at a goal apiece, Stanford wasted no time taking the lead as Samantha Williams dialed up a shot in the 72nd minute that found the back of the net and proved to be the game-winner. Williams received a pass from Avani Brandt, dribbled at her defender and got a step, leaving just enough space to fire a right-footed shot to the back post and out of the reach of Poland.
For Williams, the goal was her first of the season and the 14th of her career.
Senior Maya Doms put the final tally on the board for the Cardinal in the 81st minute, spinning at the top of the box and unleashing a perfectly-placed shot off her left foot for her second goal of the year.
While Stanford finished the match with a 23-2 advantage in shots, including a 9-1 mark in the first half, it was Saint Mary's that held the lead for the bulk of the contest. The Gaels made good on their lone chance in the first half, scoring on a counterattack as Marissa Garcia played a long ball down the sideline and Savannah Schwarze met a sprinting Briana Salvetti with a perfect cross that was tapped in for the goal – Salvetti's second of the year.
Saint Mary's nearly went 2-for-2 on its lone two shots of the match when Tessa Salvestrin lined up a free kick just outside the 18 in the 88th minute and put her shot on frame toward the upper-right corner of the goal. Stretching to make the save, Haley Craig reached with her left hand and knocked the chance away.
Craig, who played the final 45 minutes in goal for Stanford, earned the victory on the heels of the Cardinal comeback.
Stanford will remain at home next week, welcoming No. 4 Duke to Cagan Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, September 2.
GAME NOTES
- Including Aikey's goal, Stanford managed 12 corner kicks to just one for the Gaels.
- Aikey and Doms have each scored in consecutive games, and Aikey has scored in three of the first four overall.
- Now 4-0 to start the season, and with the 2022 campaign coming to an end via a penalty kick shootout, the Cardinal is unbeaten in its last 16 matches (14-0-2) and has posted eight shutouts in the last 12 contests.
- With 13 on Thursdays in a 4-0 victory over San Francisco, and 12 more on Sunday, Stanford has totaled 25 corner kicks in the last two matches.
- The Cardinal has played to a 93-25 advantage in shots through four matches this year and has outscored the opposition 13-2.
- Stanford owns a 102-5-8 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season.
- Including a goal from Williams on Sunday, nine different Cardinal have scored this year and 11 players have factored into points.