STANFORD, Calif. – Junior Joelle Jung scored a goal and added two assists to guide No. 2 Stanford to a 4-1 victory over Saint Mary’s on Sunday afternoon from Cagan Stadium.
With the victory, Stanford improved to 4-0 while the Gaels dropped to 0-1-1 on the season.
Jung and the Cardinal wasted no time getting on the board, scoring in the third minute to post the quickest goal thus far this year. Redshirt senior Andrea Kitahata drove toward the end line before cutting a pass back toward Jung who one-timed her right-footed shot into the back of the net.
Charlotte Kohler notched her second goal in as many matches in the 22nd minute, stretching Stanford’s lead to 2-0. Kohler flicked a pass to Jung who returned a through ball that put Kohler one-on-one with Saint Mary’s goalkeeper Kate Plachy. With Plachy bearing down and going into a slide, Kohler slotted her shot to the near post for the goal.
Trailing 2-0 at the break, Saint Mary’s emerged with renewed energy in the second half en route to getting a goal back in the 52nd minute from Brooklyn Smith.
Having surrendered just its second goal of the year, Stanford immediately responded in the 55th minute when Jasmine Aikey received a perfectly paced through ball from Jung that she powered past Plachy for her third goal of the season.
Stanford put the finishing touches on the match in the 79th minute when Allie Montoya cleaned up a rebound for her fourth goal in as many matches. Sophomore Jaden Thomas set up the goal, putting a left-footed shot on frame that was batted away but not possessed by Plachy. The rebound trickled toward the middle of the goal and Montoya beat the goalkeeper to the spot before hammering a shot into the open net.
Freshman Caroline Birkel went the distance in goal for Stanford, recording three saves in the victory. Plachy was credited with seven saves while conceding the four goals.
Stanford will conclude a five-match homestand on Thursday when it welcomes Arizona to Cagan Stadium for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
GAME NOTES:
- Stanford is unbeaten in the last 21 matches against Saint Mary's (20-0-1) dating back to 1990, including have won 11 straight ... is outscoring the Gaels 53-9 over those 21 matches
- Stanford has scored at least three goals in each of the first four matches of the year … 19 combined goals over the four matches are the most since scoring 20 in the first four of 1991
- The Cardinal owns a 124-7-10 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season
- Joelle Jung recorded her second career multi-assist match (2 vs. California on November 3, 2023) and her first career match with a goal and an assist
- Allie Montoya is the first Cardinal to score in four straight matches since Andrea Kitahata scored in five straight from August 18 to September 5 last season