SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – No. 3 Stanford moved to a perfect 4-0 this season with a road win at No. 13 UCSB today. The Cardinal led by just a pair of goals at halftime, but outscored the Gauchos 13-4 after halftime to head back to The Farm with a 24-13 win. Botond Balogh led the offense with six scores and three assists.
The Gauchos opened up the scoring, taking a 3-1 lead in the first three minutes of the game. Stanford was able to answer right back with six unanswered goals, two by Guido Leonardi, to end the first period with a 7-3 lead.
UCSB rallied in the second, scoring six times to make it an 11-9 lead for the Card at halftime.
After the break, the Cardinal came alive. Botond Balogh, Alex Gheorghe and Dimitris Chatzis each scored quickly to start the second half, pushing the lead to 14-9. Balogh’s goal was his fourth of the day, but wouldn’t be his last.
The junior chipped in a pair of goals in the fourth to ice the game and give him six scores, as well as three assists and a steal in the win.
Stanford’s attack came from all across the roster, with Balogh finishing as one of six Cardinal players to score multiple goals. Ben Forer totaled six points on the day with three goals as well as three assists to power the offense.
The defense ratcheted up the pressure in the second half, allowing just four Gaucho goals in the second half after the hosts scored nine in the first half. Bernardo Herzer made 11 saves in the cage, marking a season high for the senior transfer.
The Cardinal’s offense was a model of efficiency, scoring 24 times on just 34 shots compared to 13 goals on 33 shots from the Gauchos. Stanford converted eight of 11 power play opportunities as well, while holding UCSB to just five scores on 13 man-advantage opportunities.
Stanford’s next game is Sunday at No. 10 Pacific, scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. PT
Stanford Goals: B. Balogh (6), G. Leonardi (3), B. Forer (3), R. Ohl (2), D. Chatzis (2), C. Ohl (2), J. Rozolis-Hill, A. Gheorghe, D. Mnatsakanian, G. West, K. Kaneko, W. Schneider