After a tough 2-1 loss to NorPac Conference rival California last weekend, the No. 18 Stanford field hockey team embarked on a two-game road trip to the East Coast. On Sunday in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Cardinal squared off against No. 1 North Carolina, losing a close match by a single goal. The match was followed by a win over No. 8 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Monday afternoon.
In its toughest contest all season, Stanford (6-3, 2-1 NorPac) hung tough with the defending NCAA champion Tar Heels (9-0), but ultimately fell in a tight contest, 2-1.
The Cardinal managed to keep the match close through solid defense and a stellar performance from junior goalkeeper Alessandra Moss. She faced 16 shots from the Tar Heels, including nine in the second period, ultimately allowing only two goals while making eight saves. She also managed to hold off a spirited North Carolina attack throughout the second period, keeping the Tar Heels off the scoreboard from the 23rd minute onward.
However, Moss’ performance was not enough to compensate for the Cardinal’s overall lack of offense. Stanford mustered just two shots in the game, both in the first period, and got one goal from senior Xanthe Travlos at the tail end of the first period.
Despite the tough loss, Stanford had no time to recover, jumping back in the next day for a game at Wake Forest (6-4).
The Cardinal did not look promising early on, as the Demon Deacons notched two quick goals in the first nine minutes. The first goal, which came at just 1:52, was deflected into the net off a defender’s stick, while the second goal saw Wake Forest slot the ball through Stanford’s defense right to the front of the net, before being powered home by Taylor Rhea.
After that goal, however, the Cardinal found its spark, notching four unanswered goals to ultimately overcome the Deacons, 4-2. Stanford put 18 shots in throughout the game and got goals from four different players—senior Camille Gandhi, junior Stephanie Byrne, redshirt freshman Emily Henriksson and sophomore Katie Mitchell.
The win over Wake Forest should give Stanford a bump in the rankings and will also give it momentum as it continues its NorPac schedule. The Cardinal will play UC-Davis in Davis, Calif., this weekend, before taking on Harvard at home in two weeks.