STANFORD, Calif. – Sophomore Eleanor Klinger scored two goals and added two assists, while senior Jasmine Aikey recorded a brace for the second consecutive match, as No. 1 Stanford posted a 6-0 victory over BYU in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday afternoon from Cagan Stadium.
With the win, the Cardinal improves to 19-1-2, and advances to host No. 9 Michigan State on Friday at 2 p.m. in the quarterfinal round. The loss ends BYU’s season at 11-7-6.
The Cardinal dominated the match from the opening whistle, scoring three goals within the first 19 minutes of the match. Aikey got the scoring started in the eighth minute after Shae Harvey played a ball to Charlotte Kohler near the top of the box. Kohler then routed a pass to Aikey at the right corner of the 6-yard box where she hammered her shot into the back of the net.
Andrea Kitahata made it 2-0 in the 11th minute as she played a perfect give-and-go with Klinger and uncorked a one-timed shot for her 15th goal of the year.
Aikey completed the brace and ran her season goal total to 19 in the 19th minute, receiving a long ball over the top from Elise Evans at center back and, following two bounces, chipping her shot over the BYU keeper.
Klinger scored the first of her two goals on the afternoon in the 35th minute – heading home a cross from Allie Montoya to leave the Cardinal advantage at 4-0 at halftime.
Picking up right where they left off in the second half, Kohler netted her 11th goal of the season in the 55th minute as Klinger drove toward the end line and sent a cross to the back post where Kohler sat unmarked for the header.
Klinger put the finishing touches on a spectacular day in the 58th minute, lowering herself to head home a cross from Kitahata after the redshirt senior beat her defender on the left side of the Cardinal attack.
Freshman goalkeeper Caroline Birkel was credited with her first career postseason shutout, making a pair of saves to ensure the clean sheet. The native of St. Louis, Mo. turned away BYU’s best opportunity in the 34th minute – getting her mitts on a point-blank header from Ellie Walbruch following a Cougar free kick.
GAME NOTES:
- Monday's match was the eighth between Stanford and BYU in the NCAA Tournament ... the Cardinal is 5-2-1 all-time in the postseason against BYU ... Stanford has outscored BYU 34-17 over the 13 overall meetings ... the Cardinal is 7-1-0 in eight all-time meetings on The Farm and is outscoring BYU 28-5 in those matches
- The Cardinal has scored at least three goals in 16 of the 22 matches this year, has reached the five-goal plateau 10 times, and has scored at least six goals six times … is outscoring its opposition 16-4 through three rounds of the NCAA postseason and has scored at least six goals in each of the last two matches (seven vs. Alabama on November 21) … 90 combined goals over the 22 matches are the second-most through 22 matches in program history (93 in the first 22 of the 2019 season)
- Stanford is averaging a national-best 23.41 shots per game, having posted at least 20 in 15 of the 22 matches, and leads the nation in scoring offense (4.09 goals per game)
- The Cardinal is 65-7-10 over its last 82 matches and is unbeaten in its last 15 matches (13-0-2)
- Stanford has conceded just 22 goals so far this season, has posted eight shutouts, and has managed a clean sheet in 40 of its last 78 contests overall … is outscoring its opposition 58-15 over the last 14 matches
- The Cardinal owns a 133-7-10 record at Cagan Stadium since the start of the 2014 season … is 13-0-0 at home so far this season and is outscoring opponents 59-8 in those matches
- The Cardinal is making its 34th NCAA Tournament appearance, including its 27th in the last 28 seasons … has compiled a 76-25-9 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play … has reached the NCAA quarterfinal round in three consecutive years and 13 times since 2008
- Stanford is 61-4-5 all-time in postseason games hosted on The Farm, and has won 21 straight (last loss: 1-0 (2OT) vs. Santa Clara on November 18, 2016) ... is 49-1-2 over the last 52 postseason home games dating back to 2008
- Jasmine Aikey recorded her second consecutive brace, fifth multi-goal match of the season, and her eighth career multi-goal contest ... has contributed at least a point in 18 of the 22 matches this season, has scored in nine of her last 13, and has a goal in 14 of the 22 contests this season … has scored in five of her last six matches and has eight goals over that span … leads the team in total points with 48 (team-high 19 goals and 10 assists) and has contributed six game-winners ... 19 goals rank seventh in a single season in program history, while her 48 points are tied for sixth … has contributed 41 career goals to rank 10th in Stanford history, while her 110 points also rank 10th ... owns 10 postseason goals to rank third in Stanford history, while her eight postseason assists rank second only to Catarina Macario’s 14 from 2017-19
- Andrea Kitahata contributed at least one point in each of the first six matches this season and has a point in 18 of the 22 matches this year ... has a goal in back-to-back matches and 11 of the last 17 overall ... has at least a point in eight of her last nine matches … ranks second on the team in points with 40 (15 goals and 10 assists) ... has contributed 32 career assists to rank tied for eighth in Stanford history … seven postseason goals rank fifth in Stanford history, while her six postseason assists rank fifth
- Shae Harvey has totaled 16 points in her last 12 matches
- Eleanor Klinger recorded her second career multi-goal match … also managed her second career multi-assist match and her third career match with at least one goal and an assist – all coming this season
- Charlotte Kohler has scored in four of her last six matches … has managed at least a point in 18 of the 22 matches this season, including each of the last 12 … leads the team with 15 assists – the fourth-most in a single season in Stanford history … ranks third on the team in points with 37 (11 goals and 15 assists)
- Allie Montoya has contributed at least one point in 11 of her 16 matches played this season ... has scored eight goals and added six assists to manage 22 points
- The Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer Paul Ratcliffe owns a 65-15-6 record in postseason action while at Stanford, having guided the Cardinal to the NCAA Tournament in 22 of his 23 seasons