SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Junior Jaden Thomas managed a hat trick and an assist as No. 1 Stanford (6-0-1) blanked Santa Clara (2-2-3) 4-0 on Sunday afternoon from Stevens Stadium.
With the Cardinal leading 1-0 following a Charlotte Kohler goal in the eighth minute, Thomas found the back of the net in the 18th, 27th and 51st to piece together the hat trick.
The hat track was Thomas’ first multi-goal match of her career, and accounted for each of her first three goals of the season.
The native of Dallas, Texas got her day started with an assist – controlling a pass in from Bella Winn with her back to goal and directing it toward Kohler who delivered her left-footed shot into the back of the net for the eventual game-winner.
Sadie Leal-Schuman contributed the first of two assists on the afternoon for Thomas’ first tally of the day, lofting a ball over the top of two defenders as they flanked Thomas on the run. Thomas let the ball play through before one-timing a left-footed shot from distance for the goal.
Thomas secured the brace following stellar play from Winn and Brooke Holden to key the chance. Winn won a ball near midfield and played a pass down the right side of the attack where Holden sprinted into the box, beat the Santa Clara keeper to the ball, and delivered a cross to the face of the goal. Thomas ran onto the ball near the penalty spot and slotted her shot past a Santa Clara defender trying to defend the net.
The hat trick was completed shortly after the start of the second half as Stanford won a free kick in its offensive zone. As she has all season, Leal-Schuman delivered a perfect ball on the restart, bending her free kick toward the back post where it bounced once before being deposited into the goal by Thomas.
Fifth-year goalkeeper Rhiannon Stewart was credited with her third shutout of the season after making four saves.
Having wrapped up the nonconference slate, top-ranked Stanford will now turn its attention to ACC play beginning with a match on the road at No. 2 Duke next week. Kickoff is set for 9 a.m. PT on Sunday from Durham, N.C.
MATCH NOTES:
- Stanford has now outscored Santa Clara 9-1 in the last two matches between the two Bay Area powers (defeated the Broncos 5-1 on August 17 last season)
- The Cardinal is 73-8-11 over its last 92 matches and has managed a clean sheet in 47 of its last 88 contests, including six of the first seven this season … has outscored the opposition 89-19 over its last 24 matches
- Charlotte Kohler has scored in six of the seven matches this season and has managed a point in every match this year … has contributed on 10 of Stanford’s 25 goals this year while totaling 16 points (6 goals, 4 assists) … has managed 48 goal contributions in her career (23 goals, 25 assists)
- Sadie Leal-Schuman has amassed six assists in the last five matches, and has compiled eight points this season (1 goal, 6 assists) … recorded her second career multi-assist match after posting a pair vs. No. 17 UCLA on August 27 earlier this season
- Jaden Thomas secured the first Stanford hat trick since Jasmine Aikey had three against California on November 3, 2023 … managed her first career multi-goal match … with three goals and an assist, compiled seven points – the most for a Cardinal player since Jasmine Aikey had eight points vs. San Jose State on November 11, 2022