In a tight match on Friday night at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium, the Stanford women’s soccer team was able to capitalize on an early goal and survive an extended Oregon State assault to ultimately hand the Beavers their first loss of the conference season. The 2-0 win, Stanford’s 16th victory in as many chances, secured the regular season Pac-10 title for the Cardinal.
Despite Oregon State’s vaunted defensive skill – the Beavers had only allowed seven goals all season going into Friday night’s match – it didn’t take long for Stanford to open the scoring. On a third-minute barrage from the Cardinal offense, senior forward Christen Press took a pass from sophomore Rachel Quon on the right side of the box and powered a low shot into the far left corner of the Beaver net, past the diving Oregon State keeper, Colleen Boyd. For Press, the national scoring leader, the goal marked her 22nd score of the season.
The Beavers responded with increased pressure on the defensive side, and in the 15th minute they were nearly able to level the score. Freshman forward Jenna Richardson, second on the Beavers in scoring, fired a nearly point-blank shot towards the Cardinal net, but freshman Stanford keeper Emily Oliver took the full force of the blast with her upper body, knocking the ball away. At the end of the half, the Beavers were outshooting the Cardinal, 6-5.
Oregon State continued to pressure heavily in the second frame, with Oliver coming up huge on a few key saves. On a free kick in the 51st minute, Courtney Wetzel sent a laser of a shot past the Stanford wall that would have blasted into the back of the net if not for a diving Oliver, who leaped to her right to make a two-handed save with her body fully off the ground. Another missed chance for the Beavers came in the 65th minute, when OSU scoring leader Chelsea Buckland fired a shot from inside the box that Oliver gobbled up.
Stanford responded by opening up its passing game, and in the 71st minute Press was finally able to give her team some insurance. Taking a pass from sophomore midfielder Mariah Nogueira while streaking in on the left side, Press charged through a trio of Beaver defenders and fired a shot from the top of the box, beating Boyd in the bottom right corner. The goal made it 2-0 in favor of the Card, and equalized the shooting for both teams at 11.
Stanford would hold on for the shutout, the team’s 10th of the season. With the conference title now secure, the Cardinal will wrap up their season against the Oregon Ducks on Sunday at 1 p.m at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.