STANFORD, Calif. – After trading blows and playing to a 4-3 score over the first 54 minutes, No. 1 Stanford settled in and tallied the final three goals in a 7-3 victory over Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night from Stanford’s Cagan Stadium.
The Cardinal, which improved to 18-1-2 on the season, received braces from seniors Jasmine Aikey and Elise Evans.
The first opponent to hang three goals on the Cardinal this season, Alabama had its overall record finish at 11-9-2.
The Cardinal dominated the offensive numbers in the victory, posting a 40-5 advantage in shots and a 22-0 advantage in corner kicks. Despite the lopsided stats, Alabama kept the match close with an efficient attack that saw the Crimson Tide put four of its five goals on frame for three goals.
Aikey got the scoring started in the fourth minute when she headed home one of the early offerings from Mia Bhuta at the corner flag for her 16th goal of the year.
Alabama’s Gianna Paul, who also managed a brace in the match, scored her first of the night in the 12th minute to draw level.
Andrea Kitahata put the Cardinal back on top at 2-1 in the 18th minute when Eleanor Klinger played a ball to the back post that skipped perfectly into the path of the redshirt senior who buried her left-footed shot into the net for her 14th of the year.
Responding once more, Alabama drew back even on breakaway goal from Madeline Padelski in the 34th minute.
Stanford’s star center back, Evans sandwiched a brace around halftime – scoring a pair of goals in a span of eight minutes of playing time. Evans struck for her first tally in the 41st minute as she headed in a cross from Charlotte Kohler before once again getting on the end of a lofted ball from Kohler in the 48th minute for what proved to be the game-winner.
The brace was the first of Evans’ illustrious career on The Farm, and ran her season goal total to seven.
Paul gave the Crimson Tide life once more with an impressive strike for her second goal of the night in the 54th minute, but Stanford answered with goals in the 74th, 88th and 90th minutes to blow the match open.
Aikey completed her fourth brace of the season in the 74th minute as she curled a beautiful left-footed shot into the back of the net to run her season goal total to 17.
Freshman Y-Lan Nguyen notched her second goal of the year in the 88th minutes as she uncorked a shot from distance after fellow freshman Brooke Holden battled to keep a ball alive in the Stanford offensive end.
Senior Allie Montoya put the finishing touches on the scoring with just 12 seconds remaining in the match. Sophomore Jaden Thomas set up the goal, putting a cross into the box that was chested on by freshman Noe Johnson to the foot of Montoya. Montoya timed up her right-footed shot and laced it past Alabama goalkeeper Coralie Lallier for her eighth goal of the season.
Facing the offensive onslaught from the Cardinal, Lallier was credited with a career-best 15 saves.
With the victory, Stanford advances to host BYU in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday at 1 p.m.
GAME NOTES:
- Friday's second-round match between Stanford and Alabama was just the second meeting between the two teams in program history ... Stanford won the first meeting 3-0 in 1999 ... the Cardinal is now 36-6-2 against teams currently competing in the SEC
- The Cardinal has scored at least three goals in 15 of the 21 matches this year, has reached the five-goal plateau nine times, and has scored at least six goals five times … 84 combined goals over the 21 matches are the second-most through 21 matches in program history (91 in the first 21 of the 2019 season)
- Stanford is averaging a national-best 23.57 shots per game, having posted at least 20 in 14 of the 21 matches, and leads the nation in scoring offense (4.00 goals per game)
- Stanford’s 40 shots are the most for the Cardinal since posting 44 against San Diego State on August 29, 2021, while the 22 shots on goal are the most since putting 28 on frame against Prairie View A&M on November 15, 2019
- The Cardinal is 64-7-10 over its last 81 matches and is unbeaten in its last 14 matches (12-0-2)
- The Cardinal owns a 132-7-10 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season … is 12-0-0 at home so far this season and is outscoring opponents 53-8 in those matches
- The Cardinal is making its 34th NCAA Tournament appearance, including its 27th in the last 28 seasons … has compiled a 75-25-9 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play … has earned a berth in the NCAA third round in 16 of the past 20 seasons
- Stanford is 60-4-5 all-time in postseason games hosted on The Farm, and has won 20 straight (last loss: 1-0 (2OT) vs. Santa Clara on November 18, 2016) ... is 48-1-2 over the last 51 postseason home games dating back to 2008
- Jasmine Aikey has contributed at least a point in 17 of the 21 matches this season, has scored in eight of her last 12, and has a goal in 13 of the 21 contests this year ... recorded her fourth multi-goal match of the season and her seventh career multi-goal contest … also managed her eighth career game with at least one goal and an assist … has scored in four of her last five matches … leads the team in total points with 44 (team-high 17 goals and 10 assists) … 17 goals are tied for seventh in a single season in program history, while her 44 points rank eighth … has contributed 39 career goals to rank 10th in Stanford history, while her 106 points also rank 10th ... now owns eight postseason goals to rank tied for third in Stanford history with Kelley O’Hara (2006-09), while her eight postseason assists rank second only to Catarina Macario’s 14 from 2017-19
- Elise Evans recorded her first career multi-goal match … has contributed seven goals this season
- Shae Harvey has totaled 15 points in her last 11 matches
- Andrea Kitahata contributed at least one point in each of the first six matches this season and has a point in 17 of the 21 matches this year ... has a goal in 10 of the last 16 overall ... has at least a point in seven of her last eight matches … ranks second on the team in points with 37 (14 goals and nine assists) ... has contributed 31 career assists to rank ninth in Stanford history
- Charlotte Kohler has managed at least a point in 17 of the 21 matches this season, including each of the last 11 … has managed three assists in a match twice this year after also contributing three vs. SMU on October 25 … leads the team with 14 assists – the fourth-most in a single season in Stanford history
- Allie Montoya has contributed at least one point in 10 of her 15 matches played this season ... has scored eight goals and added five assists to manage 21 points
- The Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe owns a 64-15-6 record in postseason action while at Stanford, having guided the Cardinal to the NCAA Tournament in 22 of his 23 seasons