STANFORD, Calif. – Hosting SMU on Saturday night in the final regular-season home match of the year, No. 2 Stanford used four second-half goals to earn a 5-1 victory over the Mustangs.
The Cardinal (14-1-1, 8-0-1 ACC) celebrated its Senior Night on Saturday, honoring seniors Jasmine Aikey, Elise Evans, Allie Montoya, Logan Smith and Freya Spiekerkoetter prior to the win over SMU (8-7-2, 2-5-2 ACC).
Stanford, which finished the match with a 27-10 advantage in shots, found itself in a scoreless contest headed into the 41st minute. Sophomore Sammy Smith finally put the Cardinal on the board, sending a bending cross toward the back post that skipped past everyone and found the back corner of the net. The goal was Smith’s first career tally.
Leading 1-0 coming out of the break, Andrea Kitahata scored a pair of goals in quick succession, striking in the 56th and 58th minutes, to make it 3-0 Stanford.
Playing on the right side of the attack, Eleanor Klinger dribbled toward the end line, cut the ball back and sent a cross toward the back post where Kitahata one-timed it home for her first of the night. Kitahata was in the right place at the right time two minutes later as Charlotte Kohler put a shot on frame that was knocked down by goalkeeper Aubrey Brown only to have the rebound run into the goal by redshirt senior.
With the Cardinal celebrating Senior Night on Saturday, it was only fitting to have a pair of seniors find the back of the net, as L. Smith delivered her first of the season in the 63rd minute before Evans netted her fifth in the 65th. Kohler was again credited with the assist on both goals, running her match total to three, as she played a ball out to L. Smith who dribbled toward goal and unleashed her shot to the near post to beat Brown. Evans’ goal was once again an opportunistic tally as Kohler sent a shot on frame that was saved, but Evans pursued the rebound and put the finishing touches on the Cardinal scoring.
Refusing to allow the Cardinal a clean sheet, SMU broke through with a goal in the 82nd minute, taking advantage of a corner kick opportunity when Sydney Japic got on the end of a service from Paxton Bock for her second goal of the year.
The goal came just a few minutes after a flurry of saves from sophomore goalkeeper Kaiya Jota. Jota was credited with two saves after relieving Stanford starter Caroline Birkel in the 65th minute.
Stanford will wrap up the regular season on Thursday when it travels to cross-town rival California for a 3 p.m. kickoff in Berkeley.
MATCH NOTES:
- The Cardinal has scored at least three goals in 11 of the first 16 matches of the year, and has reached the five-goal plateau seven times
- Stanford’s 61 combined goals over the 16 matches are the most since scoring 65 in the first 16 of 2017
- Stanford is averaging a national-best 23.94 shots per game, having posted at least 20 in 11 of the first 16 matches, and leads the nation in scoring offense (3.81 goals per game)
- The Cardinal carries a 60-7-9 overall record over its last 76 matches
- The Cardinal owns a 130-7-10 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season … finished the regular season 10-0-0 at home and outscored its opponents 43-4 in those matches
- Andrea Kitahata contributed at least one point in each of the first six matches this season and has a point in 13 of the 16 matches this year ... has scored in three consecutive contests, and has a goal in eight of the last 11 overall ... leads the team in points with 30 (12 goals and six assists) ... has scored a brace in consecutive matches and has four career multi-goal games … is the first Cardinal to score multiple goals in consecutive matches since Catarina Macario scored four against Prairie View A&M (November 15) and two more against Hofstra (November 22) in the first two matches of the 2019 NCAA Tournament
- Charlotte Kohler has contributed at least a point in 12 of the first 16 matches this season, including each of the last six … is the first Cardinal to have three assists in a match since Catarina Macario had five vs. Prairie View A&M on November 15, 2019