On a rainy night in Seattle, the No. 4 Stanford women’s soccer team (14-2, 8-0 Pac-12) outclassed and outpowered the Washington Huskies (11-4-2, 4-3-1) with an exceptional second half to extend its undefeated streak in the Pac-12.
Stanford showed off its superior skill set in the first half, controlling possession despite the heavy rain. However, although Stanford took 8 shots before halftime, it was unable to find the back of the net.
Junior goalkeeper Jane Campbell remained untested throughout the first half behind a rock solid Stanford defense and, by the final whistle, had only 3 saves compared to Washington goalkeeper Megan Kufeld’s 7.
In the second half of the last road game of the season, all the pieces seemed to fall into place for the Cardinal. In the 61st minute, with her back turned to the goal at the top of the box, sophomore Kyra Carusa delivered a short pass to a waiting Jordan DiBiasi, who rocketed a first-touch shot into the top-right corner of the goal for her second score of the year.
The goal became a catalyst that Stanford used for the rest of the game, as the Cardinal would score all 3 of their goals in a span of 16 minutes to secure their eighth straight win.
Despite the rain, Stanford was able to generate pace and driving runs, with its continual efforts on goal eventually fatiguing and frustrating the Washington defense. Fifth-year senior forward Haley Rosen continued her incredible form, adding another goal to her season tally. Rosen now has 5 on the year, tied with sophomore Andi Sullivan for most on the team.
The third goal, scored in the 76th minute of the game, fell almost out of the sky off a strange cross that was mishandled by Kufelds. The ball fell to freshman defender Alana Cook, who headed it into an empty net for her first goal of the season. Cook has been a brick wall for the Stanford defense, and the goal could not have gone to a more deserving player.
Entering the game, the Huskies were in solid form, going 4-1-1 in their last six games, including wins against UCLA, USC and Cal in Seattle. Nonetheless, the Huskies simply couldn’t keep up with Stanford’s heavy possession and high pressure style of play; the 3 goals conceded by Washington were indicative of Stanford’s domination.
Moving forward, the Cardinal will have a three-game homestand to close out the season and prepare for the NCAA tournament. On Thursday, Stanford will host 24th-ranked USC, which comes to Palo Alto on a five-game win streak. The match will carry special special significance, as the winner will likely claim the Pac-12 conference title.
The game will be played on Thursday at Cagan Stadium at 7 p.m., and will be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks.
Contact Lorenzo Rosas at enzor9 ‘at’ stanford.edu and Neel Ramachandran at neelr ‘at’ stanford.edu.