STANFORD, Calif. — A last-second defensive stand kept No. 8 Stanford’s unbeaten run alive as the Cardinal earned a close 14-13 win over Villanova on Saturday afternoon. With the win, Stanford continued its perfect start to the season and extended its program-record win-streak at Cagan stadium to 18 games.
Stanford found itself in a one-goal grudge match having needed a fourth-quarter comeback to retake the lead. Entering the final 15 minutes down by one, Stanford rattled off three-straight goals within the first 2:26 of the quarter to take a 13-11 advantage with Ava Arceri, Lindsey Devir and Kaleigh Sommers grabbing decisive tallies for the Cardinal.
The first 15 minutes of the afternoon, however, was a complete turnaround from its finale as the teams combined for 11 goals in the first quarter with Stanford accruing six different goal-scorers during the opening frame. Maddigan Miller’s seventh of the season started an eventual 7-2 run for the Cardinal as Aliya Polisky’s brace and tallies from Jordyn Case, Elise Murphy, Devir and Arceri gave the Cardinal a 7-4 lead through 15 minutes.
However, Villanova clawed back into the game, depositing five of the next six goals to retake the lead with just under 13 minutes to go in the third quarter. Looking to stop the run, Polisky slotted home a free position shot to level the scoreline, 9-9, just 26 seconds after the Wildcats took the lead. After Villanova grabbed two goals late in the third quarter, Arceri provided the momentum boost, depositing her second goal of the game with 23 seconds left in the quarter.
In the fourth, Stanford hit on its identity, turning defense into offense as the Cardinal utilized four Villanova turnovers to keep the Wildcats at bay before adding two goals to retake the lead. Though the Wildcats made things interesting halfway through the fourth - tying the game with just over eight minutes left - it was Stanford’s perfect quarter from the eight-meter line that proved the difference as Arceri’s free position goal with six minutes left put the Cardinal in the driver’s seat.
With time as a friend of the Cardinal, Villanova pushed the tempo, forcing Stanford’s lone turnover in the quarter via a shot clock violation as the hosts tried to run out as much time as possible. Following a Wildcat timeout, Stanford’s defense held strong for the final 31 seconds, forcing a last-ditch effort from Villanova that bounced high and wide of the cage as time expired, giving Stanford the 14-13 win.