May 8, 2013
Schedule
Friday, May 10
First Round: Stanford vs. Notre Dame, 5 p.m. (PT)
Sunday, May 12
Second Round: Winner of Stanford-Notre Dame vs. Northwestern, 11 a.m. (PT)
Live stats and free video stream will be available via GoStanford.com
EVANSTON, Ill. – The Stanford women’s lacrosse team will make its third NCAA Tournament appearance in four years as it takes on Notre Dame in the first round on Friday at 5 p.m. (PT) at Northwestern’s Lakeside Field.
The winner will face No. 2 seed Northwestern (17-2) on Sunday at 11 a.m. (PT).
Stanford (13-5) will compete in its fourth NCAA Tournament and pursue its first tournament victory. The Cardinal fell to fourth-seeded Florida, 12-10, in its most recent tournament appearance on May 14, 2011.
Stanford earned an automatic bid to the tournament after winning its eighth Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament title in nine years, defeating top-seeded Denver, 7-6, in Eugene, Ore. The Cardinal’s victory snapped the Pioneers’ 15-game winning streak and avenged a regular-season loss in Colorado.
The Cardinal dominated its semifinal match, defeating California, 16-6. It was Stanford’s second victory over the Golden Bears in six days. The Cardinal closed the regular season with a 14-13 victory in Berkeley.
Hannah Farr (6-1) and Rachel Ozer (3-4) led Stanford with seven points apiece, followed by Anna Kim (4-1) and Julia Burns (2-3) with five points each in the two matches. Goalkeeper Lyndsey Munoz made 15 saves, and earned a 6.00 goals-against average and .556 save percentage.
Farr was named the MPSF Tournament Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the all-tournament team by Anna Kim, Lucy Dikeou and Elizabeth Adam.
Stanford will take on Notre Dame (12-4) for the second time this season after falling to the Fighting Irish, 12-10, in its season-opener. The Cardinal led 7-2 at halftime but Notre Dame went on a 5-0 run early in the second half and added two goals late to complete the comeback victory.
Notre Dame is led by Jenny Granger who has 53 points on 31 goals and 22 assists, followed by Jaimie Morrison (26-19) and Lauren Sullivan (26-3). Barbara Sullivan leads the Irish with 62 draw controls and 49 ground balls.
Ellie Hiling has played a majority of the minutes in net and boasts an 8.87 goals-against average and .467 save percentage.
Stanford saw Northwestern less than a month ago when it fell to the Wildcats, 12-8, on April 14 in Evanston. The Cardinal opened with a 3-1 lead in the first seven minutes but Northwestern responded with a 5-0 scoring run midway through the first half.
The Wildcats took an 8-7 lead into halftime and opened the second half with four consecutive goals in 21:04 to secure the victory.
Munoz made 14 saves and freshman Julia Burns led Stanford with five points on three goals and two assists.
Erin Fitzgerald leads Northwestern with 62 points on 56 goals and six assists, followed by Alyssa Leonard with 40 points (29-11) and Amanda Macaluso with 32 (23-9). Leonard also boasts a team-best 112 draw controls.
Gabriella Flibotte leads the Wildcats with 41 caused turnovers and 51 ground balls. Bridget Blanco has played nearly every minute in goal and holds a 7.58 goals-against average and .447 save percentage.
Stanford Notes and Storylines
Head coach Amy Bokker on the Notre Dame matchup and the team’s focus entering the first round:
“I know our players and staff are really excited to see Notre Dame again. Obviously [the last meeting] was really early in the year and we’re both very different teams at this point, but we love the matchup and are excited to compete against them again.
“Something we focused on through the MPSF Tournament is playing with confidence and discipline, so that will be our focus going into NCAA’s. We really liked our ball control and the way we limited our turnovers and fouls during the MPSF Tournament, so we have to continue with that. And then our shooting and finishing ability going forward will be really key to playing well.”
Ozer’s Offensive Boost – Rachel Ozer has proven to be an offensive force this season, leading Stanford in points (69), goals (47) and assists (22) after missing a majority of the 2012 season due to injury. Ozer has scored in 17 of 18 matches this season and is six points shy of the Stanford season record of 75, held by Hedy Born (’98). She was selected to the IWLCA West/Mid-West All-Region second team.
Kim’s Consistency – Anna Kim has continued to provide stability in the Stanford midfield and has tallied 42 points on 31 goals and 11 assists, and is second on the team with 53 draw controls. Despite missing seven games in 2012 due to injury, Kim ranks seventh all time in draw controls (98) and free-position shots (53), and leads the team in career goals with 75. She was selected to the IWLCA West/Mid-West All-Region second team.
Lerner’s Emergence – After playing in 19 games in her first two seasons combined, Megan Lerner has started all 18 games this season and leads the Cardinal in draw controls (59) and caused turnovers (22). Lerner broke the previous Stanford single-season draw control record of 52 and has been a key contributor to Stanford’s defensive effort.
Doubling Up – Along with earning her second consecutive first team All-MPSF honor and being named the 2013 MPSF Tournament Most Outstanding Player, sophomore Hannah Farr also competes for the Stanford women’s soccer team in the fall. Farr won a national title with the women’s soccer team in 2011 and made a trip to the semifinals in 2012. She is having a great season on the lacrosse field, notching 43 points on 30 goals and 13 assists. She has claimed 32 draw controls, picked up 16 ground balls and caused 10 turnovers.
Underclassmen Contributions – Stanford has received strong contributions from its 19 underclassmen, including 11 freshmen. Of Stanford’s top 13 point-getters, 11 are freshmen or sophomores. Hannah Farr leads the sophomore class with 43 points (30-13), followed by Kyle Fraser with 35 points on 30 goals and five assists.
National Team Ties – Assistant coaches Danielle Spencer (Northwestern) were part of a pool of 38 women’s lacrosse players that competed for a spot on the U.S. roster for the 2013 Women’s Lacrosse World Cup in Ontario, Canada. Stanford head coach Amy Bokker is an assistant coach on the U.S. team.
Stanford assistant coach Brooke Eubanks will compete for Team Canada at the 2013 World Cup.
NCAA Team Rankings: Below are Stanford’s team rankings in the NCAA top 50.
1. Draw controls, 15.22 per game
9. Scoring offense, 14.22 per game
10. Points, 356
t-11. Caused turnovers, 9.50 per game
t-13. Win percentage, .722
17. Scoring margin, 3.72 per game
49. Scoring defense, 10.50 per game
NCAA Individual Rankings: Below are Stanford’s individual rankings in the NCAA top 50.
t-25. Points, Rachel Ozer, 69
t-32. Goals, Rachel Ozer, 47
33. Points per game, Rachel Ozer, 3.83
33. Saves, Rachel Ozer, 2.61
Stanford’s history in the NCAA Tournament
2006 (Evanston, Ill.): Northwestern 17, Stanford 9
2010 (Harrisonburg, Va.): James Madison 9, Stanford 8
2011 (Gainesville, Fla.): Florida 13, Stanford 11
Stanford’s 2013 All-MPSF Selections
First team: Hannah Farr, Lucy Dikeou