The Stanford women’s soccer class of 2013 has never lost a game at home. It was only fitting that the seniors ended their regular-season home careers with a comfortable win over Washington at a sold-out Cagan Stadium on Sunday evening.
In a 3-0 win over the Huskies, Stanford enjoyed most of the possession and a 16-6 advantage in shots to solidify its spot atop the Pac-12 standings.
Despite the edge in possession, the Cardinal was not able to create many dangerous chances during the run of play. On the other hand, its set play execution was excellent; for the second straight game, Stanford put in two first-half goals on restarts. Five of the past six Stanford goals have come from free kicks, corners or penalty kicks.
“As long as we are scoring I’m not going to worry,” Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe said. “I think we are getting restarts and corner kicks from creating chances and that’s the most important thing. If we can put them away from the restarts then that’s fine.”
In the seventh minute, sophomore forward Chioma Ubogagu picked up the ball on the left side of the field and made a darting run into the penalty box. As a Husky defender went to make a tackle, the ball popped up and hit her hand, leading to a penalty kick.
Redshirt junior Courtney Verloo stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the lower right corner.
In the 22nd minute, Ubogagu’s pressure once again created a Cardinal corner. In true “Olimpico” fashion, Verloo bent the ball off the far post and directly into the net. The forward now has six goals and a team-leading 20 points on the season.
Verloo entered Stanford with the Class of 2013 but sat out last season with an injury, so she will be returning to the team next year. According to Ratcliffe, the team’s other redshirt junior, goalkeeper Aly Gleason, is still undecided about her future with Cardinal soccer.
Early in the second half, the Cardinal created several long-range chances but none that seriously threatened the Husky goal.
In the 76th minute, another Stanford corner led to a powerful header by senior captain Alina Garciamendez. Washington freshman goalkeeper Megan Kufeld, who had entered the game just minutes before, made a strong diving save to keep the ball out.
The Cardinal broke though for a final time with three minutes left in the game. Senior captain Rachel Quon brought the ball down the right side and sent a cross into the box. When a Husky defender attempted to clear the ball, the ball bounced off the back of her head and into the Washington net.
The Husky offense rarely tested the Cardinal defense, but when they did, the back line and goalkeeper Emily Oliver were up to the task. The junior recorded her second shutout of the season.
In honor of Senior Day, the Cardinal used a slightly unconventional lineup. Seniors Annie Case, Garciamendez, Mariah Nogueira, Quon, Madeleine Thompson and Nina Watkins all started and played a majority of the game.
After the game, the Cardinal held a ceremony recognizing the efforts of all the team’s seniors. Over the past four years, the team has won three Pac-10/12 championships, reached three College Cup finals and won the 2011 National Championship. Their overall record over this time was 87-3-4.
“This is truly an amazing class–the camaraderie they have and the relationships they have created and all they’ve meant to Stanford women’s soccer,” Ratcliffe said. “I don’t think that a senior class will ever replicate what they have done.”
However, the Cardinal’s season is not close to over yet. Stanford faces two away games against undefeated UCLA and always-tough USC in the next week. The outcome of these games will likely determine the Pac-12 title.
Stanford will then close out the regular season with a rivalry game at California on Nov. 4 before entering postseason play.