NEWTON, Mass. – Wrapping up the regular season on Thursday night at Boston College, No. 17 Stanford (11-4-2, 5-4-1 ACC) defeated the Eagles (10-5-2, 3-5-2 ACC) 2-1 on goals from Jaden Thomas and Brooke Holden.
The Cardinal will finish the regular season in a tie for sixth place with Duke at 16 conference points, but will not qualify for the 2026 Ally ACC Women's Soccer Championship based on Duke holding the tiebreaker via a head-to-head victory earlier in the season.
Boston College controlled much of the early possession, but Stanford settled in as the minutes ticked forward, generating the first real chance of the night in the 23rd minute as Peyton Marinos shed a defender before being met by BC goalkeeper Olivia Shippee who came off her line and slid to absorb the shot near the top of the box.
The Cardinal, which posted a 7-3 advantage in shots in the first half, finally broke through in the 35th minute as Erica Grilione sent a cross in from the left wing where Thomas deflected the ball into the back of the net with her back foot for her fourth goal of the season.
Stanford seemingly doubled its advantage in the 48th minute when Charlotte Kohler laced a right-footed shot on goal where it hit freshman Marinos in the box. Marinos stayed with the play and tapped the ball home, but a hand ball upon review erased the goal and the Cardinal advantage remained 1-0.
Given a second life, the Eagles found the equalizer in the 56th minute. Posted up against Sammy Smith in the Cardinal defensive end, Sophie Reale managed to turn the corner toward the endline and fire a quick cross to the near post where Addison Kalaw one-timed a right-footed volley into the net for her seventh goal of the season.
Kalaw nearly put the Eagles on top in the 59th minute, receiving a ball over the top and sprinting 1-on-1 against Cardinal goalkeeper Caroline Birkel. Birkel, who finished with three saves, sprinted off her line and confronted the attacker at the top of the box, denying the shot with her left hand before Lizzie Boamah was able to retreat and poke the ball out of danger to keep it knotted at a goal apiece.
Stanford found its rhythm late in the match, putting a flurry of shots on the board to eventually finish with a 22-9 advantage in that category. Sophomore Y-Lan Nguyen hit the crossbar in the 78th minute and the follow up from Kohler was saved as Boston College escaped.
Marinos delivered another Cardinal shot on goal with a laser in the 80th minute, but Shippee was there to tip it over the bar for one of her five match saves and once again keep the contest level.
Stanford’s relentless attack eventually proved fruitful in the 81st minute as Holden collected an attempted clearance on the edge of the box, took two dribbles on goal and fired a low driven shot that beat Shippee to the near post for the eventual game-winner.
The goal was Holden’s fifth of the season, including her first since September 3 vs. USC.
Stanford will now await the announcement of the 2026 NCAA Tournament field on Monday, November 16.
MATCH NOTES:
- Stanford is now 8-0-2 all time against Boston College, including 2-0-1 on the road … is 78-12-12 over its last 102 matches … has combined for 66 corner kick chances in the last six matches ... has outscored the opposition 103-31 over its last 34 matches
- Brooke Holden has contributed 12 points (5 goals, 2 assists) this season … notched her first career game-winning goal
- Holden’s game-winner in the 81st minute was Stanford’s first winner in the 80th minute or later since Allie Montoya’s 90th minute strike to defeat UConn 2-1 on November 22, 2024