STANFORD, Calif. – No. 6 Stanford allowed just four total shots and freshman Lizzie Boamah scored in the 18th minute as the Cardinal (10-1-0, 2-1-0 ACC) blanked Miami (3-4-2, 0-2-1 ACC) 1-0 in Stanford’s ACC home opener from Cagan Stadium on Thursday.
Capping a flurry of shots from the Cardinal off a corner kick, Boamah punched in the game-winner following saved shots from Mia Bhuta and Andrea Kitahata. Boamah delivered her putback just inside the near post to run her career goals tally to two.
Freshman Eleanor Klinger seemingly made it 2-0 in the 28th minute as Elise Evans served a long ball into the box on a free kick that bounced and was chested down by Klinger as she spun toward the near post. The native of Cleveland, Ohio hammered her shot into the goal, but the offside flag went up to negate the tally.
Evans, who played all 90 minutes, was appearing in her first match back after helping lead the U.S. U-20 squad to a bronze medal at the U-20 World Cup in Colombia. Evans had started the first three matches of the year before missing the last seven while with the United States.
Senior Haley Craig earned her seventh shutout of the year in goal, making the save on Miami’s lone shot on frame. The clean sheet was Craig’s sixth in the last eight matches.
Miami goalkeeper Gray Willson made nine saves while allowing the one goal.
Earning the start in the midfield, sophomore Joelle Jung put three of her four shots on frame while logging 75 minutes.
GAME NOTES:
• Thursday’s match was the first in program history between the two teams
• The 1-0 shutout was the fifth of the year for Stanford, which improves to 6-1-0 in matches decided by one goal this year
• Stanford has posted a shutout in eight of the first 11 matches this season and has managed a clean sheet in 28 of the last 44 contests overall
• The Cardinal owns a 117-5-9 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season
• With an assist on Thursday night, Andrea Kitahata has contributed at least one point in seven or her last 10 matches to total a team-best 14 points
• Haley Craig entered the match ranked first in the ACC and sixth nationally in goals against average (.303) before lowering that mark to .280 with the shutout
• Stanford managed a 16-4 advantage in shots, but also committed 12 fouls to just two from the Hurricanes
• Both teams created opportunities by way of the corner kick, with Stanford recording a slim 5-4 advantage
• Sophomore Shae Harvey had started each of the first 35 matches in her career, but was not listed in the Starting XI on Thursday … Harvey eventually played 42 minutes
• Freshman Ella Emri played all 90 minutes alongside Elise Evans at center back, while Mia Bhuta logged 81 minutes in the Cardinal midfield